Remembering The One-Room School House

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In the midst of a rural community, stands an unheralded monument of another age. Some pass by and for a fleeting moment, memories of childhood days come to life. For others, it is just the "old one-room" schoolhouse, just used for storage. But let's step back for just a moment to a century ago and join in the memories that still haunt this time-worn landmark.



The exact date of construction is unclear, but it is supposed that the beginning of "Pine Grove" school was around 1891. Prior to that time, 'school' was held in a Grange building located "just up the road." Meetings were held upstairs in the two story building and teaching was done on the first. As children married and formed families of their own, the old 15 by 15 log building became inadequate and Pine Grove school came into existence. Most of the people who taught school were aunts, uncles, moms or dads to children attending. Some, however, came as far as Huntington and roomed with local families while teaching. A school year was eight months long. To qualify as a teacher, you were required to take a test and a teaching certificate was given. Seems we have come full circle again -- teaching going from beginning in the home to a more 'formal' education in a school house and now some parents opting for teaching at home once again.

The children who attended also served as teachers aides and janitors. During 1928-32, as Mr. Sultan Gebhardt A Union Ridge resident recalls, he was "janitor" of the school and received a salary of $48 for the school term -- that's $6 a month. Another resident, Tim Mount held the same position about 14 years later and received the whopping salary of $7 a month. He recalls putting some kind of oil on the wood floors after cleaning them to keep the dust down and help preserve the wood. Part of the janitor's job was building a fire in the pot belly stove -- coal supplied by the Board of Education, kindling supplied by the janitor.

In later years, a lunch program was started by a conscientious teacher and an immunization program for the children.

Pine Grove closed around 1949, children going to the more up-to-date Central. Such were the good ole school days ...

Newspaper article written by Jean R. Mount
From The Herald Dispatch
Huntington, W. Va.
[date unknown]

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