OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Ulrich School
Lower Swatara Township
Middletown, PA 17057
Lower Swatara Township is located in Dauphin County, south central Pennsylvania, six miles outside of Harrisburg City, along the Susquehanna River. Around 1909, one of the teachers at Ulrich School was Mr. Ira F. Alleman from Longview Drive. He also served as school superintendent for many years.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Stoner School House
Rosedale Avenue
Middletown, PA 17057
Stoner School (kindergarten through eighth grade) was located on Rosedale Avenue at the end of Stoner Drive near Jednota Printery. The school was originally red brick and had a small cellar dug out to store coal. The coal was used in a pot-belly stove that did not adequately heat the school. Those students sitting close were very hot and those toward the front of the room were cold. The school had high ceilings which made heating difficult. In the back of the schoolroom were two large oak chairs that the children referred to as “King Chairs”. These were saved for any visitors to the school such as Board Members. Stoner School had a hand-pump outside where drinking water was obtained. There was no playground but the children made up games and used what they could find for any needed equipment.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Englishville Alternative High School
8285 Vinton Avenue NW
Sparta, MI 49345
The Englishville Alternative High School building, located on nearly 10 acres at 8285 Vinton Ave. in Sparta, Plainfield Township., Michigan, is one of the oldest alternative high schools in Kent County and has graduated hundreds of students. The high school serves students from Sparta as well as residents of Grant, Grand Rapids, Kenowa Hills, Comstock Park, Rockford, and Cedar Springs. Students who went to Englishville attended for a variety of reasons. The school served students who struggled to pass the required courses at their home school, and fell behind in getting school credits. With no option to graduate with their class from their home school, they sought another option at Englishville.
Sparta Area Public Schools closed its Englishville Alternative High School, which had opened in 1983, at the end of the 2013 school year as part of the district’s current budget cutting measures, when the district brought the alternative high school programs back to the district’s main high school. As part of this significant budget reduction package proposed by the Sparta Board of Education to balance its budget, Englishville was replaced with a new, revised alternative program, a Career Academy, which was created at Sparta High School to serve at-risk students.
Before the school closed, the district hosted an open house for all of those who graduated from the school. The district was still using the Englishville school gym, which is a separate and newer building than the school, for practice for several of its athletic teams, including competitive cheer. The district’s options were to tear down the school and leave the gym standing, or to sell the entire 10 acres except the lot the gym is on as right now the district still needs the gym space. The school stood vacant for some two years, but sometime after 2015, 9.94 acres were purchased by Kenneth Willison.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Ideal Township School
Crosslake Historic Pioneer Log Village
35404 County Road 3
Crosslake, MN 56442
The Crosslake Historic Pioneer Log Village is located at 35404 County Rd 3 in Crosslake, MN, across from the Pine River Dam and the Crosslake Recreation Area Campground. The Village awaits visitors’ presence as they step back in the time amongst the preserved, well-loved buildings that reflect the rich history of that area. Everyone is invited to come and visit this beautiful, quaint village and experience first-hand how people lived and worked in this area years ago. It is handicap accessible.
The Dempsie house, was originally a log school building in Ideal Township. It was erected in 1897 and was the first officially organized school on the Whitefish Chain. This original site has been identified on a 1915 Crow Wing County plat map. John Olson dismantled the log building, moved it from its original site east of Norway Ridge Supper Club in the early 1900s, and rebuilt it elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Theron Dempsie moved to Ideal in 1943 where they purchased an 80-acre farm where they found the log schoolhouse which had been dismantled, moved, and rebuilt by John Olson. The Dempsie family used the log school building as a home.
The Ideal Township schoolhouse was donated to the Crosslake Area Historical Society by Carolyn Carringer and Barbara Eanes, daughters of the late Mr. and Mrs. Theron E. Dempsie. In 1994 the building was once again moved, this time to the Crosslake Historic Log Village site where the school bell rings again. The building has been restored to its original use, a turn of the century schoolhouse with teacher’s quarters upstairs. A blackboard is hung in the front, flanked on each side by the traditional paintings of presidents Lincoln and Washington! Slates are placed at each desk for students. Children love to sit in the desks and pretend they are attending school as students did 100 years ago.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Hunter School
Moore’s Geneva Homestead
19631 County Road 687
South Haven, MI
Moore’s Geneva Homestead in Geneva Township is called “the best kept secret of fall attractions in Van Buren County.” It is the Moore family’s effort to preserve a little of the area’s past. There are no pumpkin canons, hay rides, or candy apples. There are also no crowds, and no fees to visit the 20-acre site that features hand-crafted buildings, a covered bridge and pond, a covered wagon, and other artifacts from the past. Fred Reimer’s log cabin was built in the late 1960’s on CR-380 and 66th Street northeast of South Haven, Michigan, on the site of the original Hunter School House built by Marvin Hannahs in 1848. It is a replica of a cabin that was built there and used as a school house for Jericho, a settlement half mile to the north. Chuck and Carolyn Moore have added other structures to recreate a 19th Century village on the 20 acres known as Moore’s Geneva Homestead.
Although the buildings may not be exact replicas of historic structures, they are made from salvaged and rescued materials. Oak logs and planks were hewn from trees that were headed to the burn pile after they were cleared for road work. Some of the buildings’ beams came from area barns that were demolished. “It’s mostly recycled materials. Those big old hand-hewn beams are priceless and beautiful, and so much work has gone into them. The last project was a log chapel which is rented out for weddings. Next in the works is a blacksmith shop, stocked with tools from Carolyn’s great-grandfather’s shop — he was a blacksmith in Geneva township. The couple attends Amish country auctions for furnishings for the buildings. Early in October the village is the site of a Civil War reenactment, with spectators and participants.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Mt. Trumbull Historical Schoolhouse
County Rd. 5
Bundyville, Arizona
Mount Trumbull Historical Schoolhouse, a historic former schoolhouse that has been restored and is open to the public, is a museum in Mohave County, Arizona. It is Mohave County’s most remote schoolhouse in the sparsely populated Arizona Strip in far northwestern Arizona. A visit to this historic landmark will give you a glimpse into what pioneer life was like in a remote area. The settlement of the area began in the early 1900s. Mormon pioneers from Utah set out to the beautiful Upper Hurricane Valley at the base of Mt. Trumbull. In 1916 they filed for a land grant of 640 acres to be used for farming. The town of Bundyville was born that same year, taking name from a local family, the Bundy’s (no relation to that Bundy). The town grew as other families moved in. A schoolhouse and central meeting place was needed.
The first schooling in the area took place in the home of one of the local residents. In order to accommodate a growing student body, a modest schoolhouse was built in 1918 on the present site. It was named for the nearby volcanic peak to the east, Mount Trumbull. A post office named Bundyville was established in 1919. Soon the school became too small and was moved to make room for the existing building, which was completed in 1922 and continued to be used until 1966. The little community boomed and the town grew to about 250 people in the 1930s. In 1934, the Taylor Grazing Act was passed and encouraged residents to switch from farming to cattle ranching and grazing, a lifestyle that is still very much present in the area today.
The one-room schoolhouse had a variety of uses throughout its lifetime. In addition to being used for teaching, the building was also used for town hall meetings, church, dances, and other community events. A strong sense of community resulted from the isolation of the town. The nearest town (St. George, Utah) was 60 miles away, and at the time, was a long wagon ride or car ride over bumpy trails. The town thrived up until the 1950s. The population slowly dwindled as ranching slowed down and many families moved north into Utah. The post office was closed in 1950. The schoolhouse lasted up until 1966 when it was shut down. The building sat abandoned for decades. In 1990, in an attempt to preserve the unique history of the area, restoration efforts started on the schoolhouse and were finished by 1994.
Unfortunately, on July 31, 2000, the building was burned down by arsonists. In an effort to further preserve the history for future generations, a committee decided to rebuild the schoolhouse in the same spot. It was opened in 2001 and built to specs of the original schoolhouse, bell on top and all. The old schoolhouse holds fond memories for those who received some or all of their education there. It functioned as a school, church, dance hall, and a town meeting place. People came from miles around to attend dances and listen to music played by local musicians, which were their main sources of entertainment.
Today, Mt. Trumbull Schoolhouse provides an in depth look at a history of the area. The inside is always open and is well preserved with historic photos, artifacts, and benches. The outside has informational signs, numerous old vehicles and relics, as well as a bathroom. The easiest way to get to the schoolhouse is from St. George, UT, by heading south on River Road, att the state line continuinh left onto BLM 1069, which becomes County Road #5. The entire route is dirt roads and is about 60 miles. The drive is bumpy but doesn’t require high-clearance. In winter, conditions may not be suitable for most vehicles. The schoolhouse will be easily seen on the right.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Moseley School (1915)
Lincoln Lake Road & 4 Mile Road
Lowell, MI
Moseley School, located on the southeast corner of Lincoln Lake Road and 4 Mile Road, near Lowell, MI, in Vergennes Township, Kent County, was built in 1915 and is now a private residence. It’s a beautifully-restored red-brick schoolhouse with original-looking windows on one side and two on the other side replaced with a doorwall to a deck. The roof is a modern red metal roof which will protect the house for years to come. The bell tower is intact, with a school bell inside. A chimney at the rear of the schoolhouse probably vented a pot-belly stove back in the day, and a modern furnace today. Signs above the door identify the schoolhouse as Moseley School, built in 1915, and also as a “Standard School”, meaning one which conformed to the highest standards of Michigan one-room schoolhouses of the day. A Historical Plaque beside the front door proudly confirms this identification. The school was declared a Michigan Historic Site on August 22, 1985.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
Old Bremen School
164 Walnut St.
Bremen, OH 43107
Welcome to 164 Walnut Street located in the Village of Bremen, Ohio. This former schoolhouse was built in 1900 and has over 6,400 square feet of space. This gorgeous all brick building features a bell tower, gorgeous original hardwood flooring throughout, transom windows, loads of floor to ceiling windows, a grand staircase, wainscoting, and soaring ceilings. There are solid wood doors. The 2nd floor boasts an enormous great room, 2 bedrooms, and 1/2 bath. The 3rd floor provides a generous living room, kitchen area (with attic/bell tower access), a huge bedroom with walk-in closet and full bath. The lower level provides a separate living area complete with a full kitchen, living room, 4th bedroom, full bath, laundry hook-up and private exterior access.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
McPherson School – Vergennes District No. 11 (1861)
1573 Parnell Avenue Northeast
Lowell, MI 49331
The McPherson School, Vergennes District No. 11, is located at the southwest corner of Parnell and Downes Roads, on the west side of the road, in Vergennes Township, Kent County, Michigan. It was constructed in 1861 and declared a Michigan Historic Site on April 23, 1985. A historical marker was erected in 1988 by the Bureau of History, Michigan Department of State (Marker Number L1228.). The marker is at the intersection of Parnell Avenue Northeast and Downes Street Northeast, on the right when traveling south on Parnell Avenue Northeast. The school’s current use is unknown.
OLD SCHOOL OF THE DAY
African Schoolhouse #4
Faust Park Historic Village
15025 Faust Park Dr.
Chesterfield, MO
Faust Park Historic Village is a collection of 20 old buildings behind the park’s Butterfly House, playground, and carousel. The buildings date from 1840–1910, and they give a peek at what life was like for the early residents of the lands that now make up St. Louis County. The St. Louis County Parks Department has relocated them to the park over the years. African Schoolhouse #4, a small log house with white siding and red shutters, is Missouri’s oldest surviving one-room schoolhouse; it’s been relocated to the park from Wild Horse Creek Road in Chesterfield.
In 1893, Black West County residents successfully sued to open a school for their children in Chesterfield, and when it was completed in 1894 at a cost of $600, students in first through eighth grades attended school, with no separation between the age groups, in the same teeny 15-by-19-foot room. There was no cafeteria, no restroom, and no playground. When the school closed in the 1950s and the children were sent to integrated schools, the property was sold, and the schoolhouse was converted into a garage. For years, it hid in plain sight and the parks department tried—unsuccessfully—to acquire it. Finally, in 2021, a newer owner, Muwafaq Abdel Baset, donated the structure to the parks department, and the county enlisted the help of the St. Louis County Parks Foundation to raise the money needed to strip off its newer vinyl siding, then dismantle and rebuild the structure, log by log, in Faust Park.
In 2021, the schoolhouse was moved to its current location in Faust Park. Through hard work and determination from several people, it was painstakingly taken apart, piece by piece, but then put back together and restored. Dr. Linda Settles, an African-American minister in a white church, helped with those efforts. Faust Park’s Historic Village will keep it furnished and maintained. Interpretive signage tells the story of Black students in the County and the families who sued to have a school built for their children. African Schoolhouse #4 is the only known surviving log African-American school in St. Louis County.
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