The Keeney Street School is named for its location on Keeney Street. The street was named for the Keeney family, which has lived in the area for over 350 years, long before Manchester was founded as a town in 1823. Keeney family members lived in the Buckland area, and some are buried in the Buckland Cemetery. They were landowners, farmers and businessmen, and participated in the nation's wars. Local history books list the Keeneys as fighting in the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War and World Wars I and II. Keeneys have also served as Selectmen and Surveyor of Highways.

The Keeneys owned several paper mills, both as individuals and in partnership with others (Keeney & Clapp, White & Keeney, Keeney Bros., Keeney & Fitzgerald). Members of the family were also involved in clothing manufacture.

The Manchester Historical Society maintains a reconstructed one-room schoolhouse at 106 Hartford Road. The original schoolhouse was built on Keeney Street about 1751, and although it had fallen into disrepair, materials were salvaged from it and used in a 1976 rebuilding project in honor of our country's 200th birthday.

Click image at right to see a larger picture.

For more information, click Keeney Schoolhouse.