The big news in Northfield this past year has been the restoration of the historic 1877 Northfield Graded School, fondly known as the Gray Building. It is being restored and returned to the community by a local non-profit, The Gray Building Coalition. Annie Gould, corporate secretary of WallGoldfinger, is the president of this association.

The 10,000-sq/ft building, abandoned in 1994, is a woodworker's dream. The post and beam building is eligible for the National Historic Register and many of the unique architectural features are still intact: a double staircase, 8,900-sq/ft classrooms with 18 foot ceilings. There is a very ingenious 14' high by 25' long tri-paneled partition that divides two classrooms and rises into the attic on pulleys. The counter weights are very old pine buckets filled with granite chips — we do not stand under them! This partition must be the prototype for today’s corporate retractable wall systems.

This project has received federal funding from Save America's Treasures as well as many local supporters, agencies and foundations. The coalition has raised $1,000,000.00 towards the $1.3 million goal. The first floor is now in use by Head Start, The Step Above Dance Studio, and the Northfield Boys and Girls Club. The second floor is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2005, opening-up 4 more classrooms.