On March 30, 1850 Anna Widder, the widow of John Widder, and her daughter Nancy sold 16 perches of land to the Penn Township Directors of Common Schools for the sum of $12. Written in the deed was that when the land was no longer needed for school purposes, it was to be returned to the land from which it was taken at the same price. The deed for this transaction was recorded February 20, 1891 in Deed Book P, Volume 13, page 565. This deed notes that Anna’s husband, John Widder, by his last will and testament dated May 8, 1844 bequeathed the land to his wife for her use during her lifetime, and then it was to pass to his daughter, Nancy Widder.
On April 1, 1892 Benjamin H. Brubaker and his wife Anna sold 64 perches of land to the Warwick School District for the sum of $128. This was recorded in Deed Book M, Volume 14, page 114 on December 22, 1893.
The School District of the Township of Warwick sold the above properties to Charles J. Lebzelter for $62 on June 2, 1930. Lebzelter was noted as the owner of the adjoining land. He paid $12 for Part 1 which was the 16 perches from Widow Widder, and the school board assessed Part 2, containing 64 perches, at $50. This was a total of 80 perches which was ½ acre . The sale was recorded on February 11, 1949 in Deed Book A, Volume 40, page 118. This deed references the land as granted to School District of Township of Penn and said premises now located in Warwick Township by virtue of the later creation and establishment of Warwick Township as a separate Township and a separate school district.
(The reference in the deed to try to explain the township difference seems fuzzy to me. Penn Township came about by the division of Warwick Township in 1845. Unless the township lines were skewed, the school location was still within what we know today as Warwick Township. Perhaps upon resurveying it was discovered that the school location was not in Penn Township. John Widder’s will was written in 1844. The partitioning off of Penn Township took place in 1845. The original deed transferring the 16 perch property to the Penn Township School Directors is dated 1850. The deed was not recorded until 1891. The deed from Brubaker for an additional 64 perches of land at that site was dated 1892, and it was recorded in 1893. At this point in time the site is now Warwick Township.
In the fall of 2010, Clair Amand was at a meeting of the Rothsville Graduating Class of 1938. He extended the question to the attendees as to what was the name of this grammar school. Two of the persons attending, Warren Miesse of Lititz, and Paul Wiegart from Berks County, both replied that it was called the Fairview School when they attended classes there.