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Thrasher Spring School is located in Old Fields, West Virginia, just beyond the known Bethel community. The schoolhouse began operation in 1880.Thrasher Spring School operated as a one-room schoolhouse. Many teachers passed through its doors. You can find a list of some of the teachers that worked there from 1917-1948 available on page 66 of The 1976 Bicentennial Project record. Along with their names, you can also find specific dates they worked. One notable student, C. D. Sions passed through Thrasher Spring School. Mr. Sions became the superintendent in Grant County.Despite the weather, students would walk to and from Thrasher Spring School. Students would sit for 6 hours of learning a day. For both the students and teachers, school at Thrasher Springs would stretch for 9 months.Many of the older students at Thrasher Springs School would assist, or when needed teach, the younger students. The courses at Thrasher Spring included the standard subjects such as English and Arithmetic, but also subjects like Agriculture and Physiology. Thrasher Spring School taught primarily 8 different grade levels during its operation. Once the school closed in 1948, the land housing the school was returned back to the original owners, the Vanmeter family descendants.*Information sourced from Nathanial Bauder’s Hardy County notes

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.During the 19th and 20th centuries Hardy County was abundant farmland home to generations of families. Education was sparse and largely dictated by what school you attended. Thrasher Spring School, located in Old Fields, was originally the property of the VanMeter family. This school in Hardy County taught students over the course of sixty-eight years. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Megan Nielson &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Thrasher Spring School (1880? - 1948)

From the 1800s through the mid-1900s, most of Hardy County's schools were one- or two-room schoolhouses, built in partnership with landowners, churches, the surrounding community, and the County school board. At its height, there were approximately 124 schoolhouses in the county serving their surrounding communities.

What was once a county dotted with single room schoolhouses that doubled and tripled as community hubs, dance halls, and places of worship, Hardy County began modernizing its approach to education as early as 1909. In 1903, West Virginia statewide legislation set uniform examination procedures that increased the standard of teacher certification, and, just a few years later, interest in a high school began to grow in the county. Moorefield High School opened in 1916 and, as technology evolved and student populations increased, so did demand for an education that was acceptable. 

Improved facilities and improved roads that could better accommodate buses and travel increased attendance at consolidated schools. From 1927 to 1928, the number of rural schools in Hardy County dropped from 105 to 85, and the number of consolidated schools increased. A grade and high school also opened up in nearby Wardensville, and the updated curriculum and larger classes for each individual grade appealed to students and their parents. Many of these rural schools became obsolete by the 1940s and '50s, but their structures remain today as a window into days gone. 

While brick and electricity replaced logs and wood stoves in the classroom, many of the core classes and principles that were taught in rural schools like the Sugar Grove School remained the same well into the mid-20th century. 

According to the 1961 Handbook for Hardy County Teachers, music education was still a staple in the classroom, just like it had been for students at the Sugar Grove School. Though teachers in the 1960s had access to better equipment and larger class sizes, the singers and art of performance remained the same. Connecting through song was a universal opportunity, regardless of where and when it was happening. 

Due to Hardy County's age and ties to old Virginia, it has been involved in the evolution of education in both Virginia and West Virginia (post 1863). Public education had been unorganized and unvalued pre-1875. “To begin with the year 1875 and compare educational statistics and history, we find an increasing public sentiment in favor of the public school system, and that there has been gradual progress along all educational lines.”

The first effort to organize education was the Virginia Literary Fund in 1810. This government aid assisted in paying tuition for poor white students. Little changed in the education system until 1846. It was then that legislation passed to authorize school commissioners to use local taxes to supplement state aid for the poor.

West Virginia, once a state of its own in 1863, set to regulate education within its borders. Both the 1863 and 1872 constitutions had established public school institutions, although much control still belonged to the individual county and towns.

Schools today have to pass levies and apply for federal and state grants to build new school buildings, but in 1859 things were much simpler. According to the account of William C. Baker and Isaac Frye, the new log schoolhouse for the Wardensville community cost $85.44, roughly $3,000 of today's money. “Hardy county, like others, began with log houses and some of the rudest kind, furnished with inconvenient and uncomfortable desks, if any, maybe slabs or puncheon benches, without backs, and possibly a kind of shelf which extended round the walls and served the pupils in writing.”

This trail allows you to view the structures that still stand (or are formally marked) while imagining a time when paved roads, motorized transportation, and culverts bridging streams did not exist. The woods were bigger, and schools could be as much as two miles away!

Hardy County is 584 square miles. Surprisingly, when asking for directions, Siri may tell you the mileage by crow and then by car - often a significant difference because of our beautiful mountains. Finding these historic schoolhouses is a good excuse to explore some of West Virginia's famous country roads that you would normally never use. Due to the time it takes to traverse our roads, this trail has also been organized into five smaller tours. Each of these tours can take a couple of hours, so be sure to soak in our bucolic scenery and enjoy the winding roads ahead of you!  

IMPORTANT NOTES - PLEASE READ EACH ONE: 

*DRIVE CAREFULLY! Our roads are winding and we share them with local residents, wild critters, hikers, and bikers. Take the weather into account as well. This is not a race, so take your time; be in the present as you peruse the past. 

*CONSIDER ALL PROPERTY PRIVATE and abide by trespassing laws. Those properties that have the owner's permission for you to walkabout and peer through windows are noted.

*LEAVE NO TRACE. It's simple; take your trash with you. Leave our roads as pristine as you found them.

*DOWNLOAD OUR COLORING PAGES. Add a pack of crayons and let younger adventurers color actual schoolhouses as they identify them along the trail. You can find these at (URL).

Now, let's hit these country roads!

Alum Bank School was one of the first of five African- American schools in Hardy County (Alum Bank, Fisher, Run, Sanders, and Wallace). The school opened in 1868 after a board meeting of Capon Valley District Board of Education elected to erect the new building for the purpose of educating African American children. There were four teachers of the Alum Bank School during its sixty years of operation; Sarah Bowman, Carrie Palmer, Frances Toyer, and Edith Johnson. Like many school teachers of the one-room school era, they held responsibilities beyond educating students. The teachers' responsibilities included not only making the fire to warm the school but providing fuel for the wood stove. Teachers were paid $160 for a four-month term and given an additional $40 per month for janitorial duties. This wage (belonging to the first teacher, Sarah Bowman) was actually higher than that of other teachers in the area. Enrolled students received a well-rounded education, studying reading, writing, and arithmetic.Located in West Virginia, African-American education faced many obstacles. Although the newly formed state’s legislature proposed to educate African-Americans, they elected to leave the schools unfunded and under the stipulation that the schools remained segregated. West Virginia’s constitution underwent construction in 1972 producing a new ruling document but with the same rhetoric segregating schools stating “White and [colored] persons shall not be taught in the same school.” This section stood until 1994, although integrated school systems occurred much earlier in the state but not without opposition. This opposition was felt across the state. With protests being held in different schools, the most notable being in Montcalm (Mercer County) and Greenbrier county. At the end of the 1955-56 school year, only 5 West Virginian counties had not integrated: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, and Jefferson.African American Education was left unsupervised until 1919, when the state created the state supervisor of [African American] schools and appointed a [African American] Board of Education. Assistant Superintendents were added to counties having 50 or more Black teachers in 1933. Despite more representation, African American schools had a significant value decrease in buildings, salaries, and even length of school years. By 1960, despite the previously mentioned opposition, students and teachers had been integrated across the state of West Virginia. A plaque recognizing the importance of this location's history was placed on May 13th, 1962.The year is unknown but the schoolhouse building was relocated on Route 55 in Wardensville and served as a meeting house and house of worship for the African American community for some time.

FORMER LOCATION IS CURRENTLY AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN CEMETERY. ACCESS IS PERMITTED. LEAVE NO TRACE. SCHOOL HAS BEEN RELOCATED OFF OF ROUTE 55.Now commemorated by a plaque overlooking the Alum Bank cemetery, the Alum Bank school once stood in this location. On this half acre, the lives of African-American children were changed starting shortly after the end of the Civil-War. After the conclusion of a war fought over the rights of these very children, a school was erected for their education. One of the first African American schools in the county, the building stood for sixty years providing education and employment for the African-American Community. On May 13th, 1962, a plaque was placed to honor the resiliency of students and the important history of a time when schools were segregated. Alum Bank was one of five African American school in the county (Alum Bank, Fisher, Run, Sanders, and Wallace).This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Channing Carr &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit.

Alum Bank (African-American) School (1868 - ?)

Before 1910, there were six schools within four miles of Wardensville. Sugar Grove, Waites Run, North Mountain, Crest Hill, Moriah School, and Slate Rock schools all served their individual communities before consolidating into Wardensville.Consolidation was a contentious topic during the time. Former school Board President L.B. McNiell voiced his opposition to consolidating schools in an opinion piece in the Moorefield Examiner. He expressed the desire to put funds towards more one-room school buildings instead of large school houses in Wardensville, Mathias and Moorefield. It was his belief that this would be better for students, teachers and schools. His opposition was felt by many during the 1900’s as one and two room schools slowly closed down. Many saw the schools as a source of community and culture and were afraid of losing identity without them.While construction took place for a new graded school building, the Board of Education of the Capon District ordered this building be built to serve as a temporary placement until the new schools completion. The building housed students until it was moved to its current location by RC Hott. It now serves as the Wardensville Visitors Center. The Visitor Center helps tell the story of Wardensville and offers recommendations on destinations while in town. The Visitors Center also hosts Art and History exhibits. Their hours are Wednesday - Saturday 11am - 4 pm and Sunday 12 - 4 pm. Visitors can find information about tourism-related businesses and maps to fine their way around the County and across the State.

PUBLIC BUILDING. ACCESS THROUGH DRIVEWAY.Now serving as the Wardensville Visitor’s Center, this relocated building once served as a temporary schoolhouse while a new structure underwent construction. The one story, two room school served Wardensville students (grades 1 to 8) from 1936 until 1950.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Channing Carr &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Wardensville Graded School #2 (1936 - 1950)

The history of education in Wardensville can be traced back to 1830 when the first log schoolhouse was documented. The log schoolhouse was used until 1870, when it gave way to a new building which now stands as the Presbyterian Church. 1898 brought another change and gave us what now stands as the Veterans of Foreign Wars building. This building was built with the purpose of serving as a school house for the immediate Wardensville community but slowly grew to include surrounding schools. The once two room school underwent many changes, the first occurring in 1910. Three rooms were added as rural schools began to be consolidated. "That was still not enough room for the increased number of scholars, so empty store buildings in town were rented and used as classrooms. This makeshift arrangement was used until the brick graded and high schools were erected in 1946-1950.” Consolidation, much like today, was often faced with opposition from the communities themselves. It was often done as a last resort as schools could not afford to keep their doors open.The schoolhouse served a variety of uses for the community it served. During a state-wide push for more formal education requirements of teachers, the schoolhouse opened its doors to Glendale Normal School. Glendale Normal School offered “both academic and professional training for the profession of teaching.” Many area teachers received their training from Glendale Normal School.On July 12th of 1928 the school had its first close encounter with closure after the neighboring Wilson homestead caught fire. While the school house caught fire several times, it narrowly escaped complete engulfment by the flames this time. The Board of Trade and the Farm's Women Club supplied funding for student tuition and teacher salary to ensure the school remained open despite a lack of funds by the Capon District Board in 1933.The students of Wardensville Graded School benefited greatly beyond the classroom, enjoying many extracurricular activities. It housed the county’s only participating Safety Patrol Program. This AAA sponsored program helped protect children arriving and departing schools safely. During the 1930’s, students also took extra measures in the wake of wartime “carrying gas masks and learning military drills.” This program helped student learn how to be responsible, provided opportunities for peer-to-peer support and offered annual trips to Washington, D.C. Nine Wardensville natives traveled among 2,787 West Virginians to join 24 states and the Capitol in a parade and celebration. Wardensville Graded had an active 4-H chapter, as well as an athletics program that competed against other schools in Hardy County. The school year often ended with a picnic to celebrate a completed school term before students took the summer months off. The building has been the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post NO 2102 since 1975. They offer assistance and advocacy for Veterans.

CURRENTLY OPERATING AS THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS BUILDING. ACCESS VIA DRIVEWAY.Currently housing Veterans of Foreign Wars, this renovated building was the Wardensville Graded School. It was the first school in Wardensville and grew significantly to include students fromsurrounding areas. It was the second school in Hardy County and occupied many buildings until the current structure was built in 1898. The school overcame many obstacles during its tenure. It survived fire, lack of funding, and opposition in order to remain a source of education for the youth of Wardensville.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Channing Carr &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Wardensville Graded School #1 (1898 - 1946?)

Built in 1904 and closed in 1949, Maple Grove is located about four miles from Wardensville. Maple Grove was a one-room schoolhouse built up on the property of the Hahn family who own over 250 acres of the surrounding area. Early in the 1930's, two brother John and Wilbur Hahn began a sawmill business. The schoolhouse pops up right at the divergence of Dutch Hollow Road. In older times, the school is referenced as being five miles from US-259 (Strawderman 104). Maple Grove is a small wood frame building. It measures 24 by 36 feet. Prior to the extensive renovations of the school, it featured a cream-colored siding, shingled roof, large-paned windows and was heated through a furnace in the middle of the schoolroom. Prior to its closure in 1949, the school offered a place for the students to learn to read and write. Karen Findley, a Hahn descendent and current caretaker of the school claimed that “Most of us were brothers, sisters, and cousins back here in [Dutch] Hollow,”. The students carried water from the nearby stream, all drinking from the same dipper dunked in the bucket. The furnace kept the children warm in the brutal, and stark winters that the Appalachian Mountains face. The typical school day began at 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM for a four-to-six-month term. The school served grades 1 through 8 and all were taught reading, writing, and math (Whitson). When school was not in session, it doubled as a place for socials, parties, and worship. It was a center of the community in Dutch Hollow. Wardensville eventually opened a high school and students had the opportunity to further their education. Most students would make the long walk from Dutch Hollow to Wardensville, and eventually transportation services were offered. Today, the school is a reminder of the 20th century. The Hahns are proud to feature the school annually at the Hardy County Heritage Weekend. Walking through its wooden doorway, it is as if one is transported to the olden days. Old books decorate the desks, the walls are filled with old report cards, attendance sheets, and family photos. It is a well-preserved historic building. The simple familial love and devotion of the property owners makes the school so unique in the grove of maple trees it stands in.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD. THE SCHOOL IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC DURING HERITAGE WEEKEND (SEPTEMBER).Rural and winding Sauerkraut Road leads to a beacon of pride for the community once you reach the divergence of Dutch Hollow. Maple Grove, a beaming and beautiful schoolhouse stands tall and proud surrounded by Maple trees. It is said to have been named by Bill Conrad's daughter. In operation from 1905-1949, it educated the inhabitants of Dutch Hollow and Sauerkraut communities. Today the school lovingly stands renovated by descendants of the builders. It's easy to imagine a school day long gone as this building still stands with some of its original artifacts.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Ethan Combs &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Maple Grove School (1904 - 1949)

Nestled in a quiet grove of trees just outside of Wardensville, Sugar Grove School appears just as it did to students in the early 1900s. Referred to by some sources as the Heishman School, it is believed that the schoolhouse opened to students in grades one through eight in 1909. (There were 2 schools sometimes referred to as the Heishman School. The other is Trout Run School.) Relying on nothing but their own two feet to get to and from classes each day, students were expected to arrive for a 9:00am start time. The school days ended at 4:00pm and the semester lasted for about six months at a time. Like many other rural communities in Hardy County, the one served by the Sugar Grove School was diverse, but not every child in the area would have attended school. Some stayed home to help their parents on the farm, and others to help raise younger siblings. Those who did attend recall school subjects including music, reading, writing, math, nature studies, United States and West Virginia History. According to former Wardensville area teacher J. Allen Hawkins, there was no high school offering higher learning in Wardensville before 1920, meaning that any students who wished to further their education would have to travel elsewhere. This was a possibility for students who could afford to travel or even board in places like Moorefield that offered such opportunities, but it was unlikely that many children were afforded this opportunity until schoolhouse consolidation began. Today, Sugar Grove School is beginning to show its age. Its weathered boards still bind the four walls together and if you listen close enough, you might just hear giggles and song through the large side windows.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.This wooden frame structure served students and families who lived just outside of Wardensville. Sugar Grove School was sometimes referred to as the “Heishman School" due to its close proximity to the Heishman Cemetery and the fact that many Heishman children attended. Sugar Grove School is believed to have provided a general education to students of various ages and skill levels beginning in 1909, . Sugar Grove School was used before increased population and organization of county school boards led to standardization and consolidation of rural, one-room houses that once served small communities limited by travel. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Eva Blankenhorn &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Sugar Grove School (1909 - ?)

Trout Run School is a wood-frame structure located on Trout Run Road just before the Virginia line on the right. It is a hard to miss building with its vibrant red foundation and blue tin roof.Students in grades 1st through 8th walked to school every day for seven months of the year. School was in session from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM and taught the usual subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic.Many schools relied on neighbors to supply water to the students. This usually meant students would carry a cooler from a nearby home back to the school. Trout Run School had its own well and hand pump which meant Trout Run students didn't have to carry their own water.There were no extracurricular activities offered as part of the course offerings but Trout Run did have regular baseball events. The most common form of discipline was staying inside for recess.Upon completing the 8th grade, if they wanted to continue their education, students would transfer to Wardensville High School. Eventually, all the grades would go into Wardensville when the school closed in 1952 due to consolidation.Since closing, Trout Run School has been a private residence and is now owned by an outdoor nonprofit that makes this building available to their members.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Trout Run School is a wood-frame structure that is hard to miss with its vibrant red foundation and blue tin roof. Grades 1st through 8th were taught from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM for seven months of the year. It closed in 1952 when it consolidated with Wardensville schools.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearcher: Shefa Nola Benoit

Trout Run School (1921 - 1952)

Education during the late 19th century through the mid 20th century was different in many ways than we know it today. Students were taught in a one room schoolhouse with one instructor teaching several if not all grade levels. Years of schooling varied from teacher to teacher and years of schooling varied from school to school depending on what was offered at the school nearest to one’s home. Extracurricular activities were also not nearly as abundant as they are today and the resources a school could provide were much fewer. Educators like Brown May, Turner Foltz, Clint Halterman, Robert Sager, Mary Tracy Fansler, Minnie Jenkins, Daphna Mathias, Johnnie Moyers, Hattie Moyers, H.W. Snyder, R.C. Halterman, Virgil Mathias, Zella Sherman, and Minnie Heishman did the best they could with the knowledge they had and the resources available to them to meet the requirements of the education system during their time at the Basore School.A lot of change has occurred in education from the opening of Basore school until now. A former student of Basore school, Turner Foltz, who eventually became a teacher at the school remembered stories from his mother who attended the school in the 1860’s. He remembered his mother telling him that “teachers weren’t very educated. Their education would be equal to an eighth grader or less now…one evening the school had a spelling class. The teacher pronounced the word thunder and said sunder. Evidently no one could spell it.”Following the American Civil War and with West Virginia’s new statehood, new legislation set standards for education. To be a teacher now required certification and certification was awarded based on level of accomplishment and qualification. By 1881 the first criteria for graduation were implemented in Monongalia County. A new system for grading course work, establishing benchmarks, and grade levels spread to the state level by 1891. In 1897 as students continued to miss school and attendance began to drop a new act required parents to send their children to school or face fines. Teachers needed a way to stay on top of new curriculum and to prepare for this, a series of county workshops or “Teachers’ County Institute’s” were implemented. Through these workshops educators would go back to school as visiting professors from colleges and universities in the state guided them in professional development and curriculum writing. By the time Turner Foltz attended the Basore School these new teacher requirements were in effect. Teachers now were required to attend “normal school” for education and take an exam to be qualified to teach. But this schooling was still different than we know today. Turner and his classmates would have lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and history with each class lasting 10-15 minutes. Some non conventional schooling which took place included nature walks on the mountain identifying plants, collecting specimens, and bird watching. They would also have various extracurricular activities. “We had a debate club at Basore School…we had debates at different schools every two or four weeks. We had a lot of fun. We learned a lot in public speaking also. Some of the topics discussed were immigration, the Indians and the negro. The dish rag and the broom.” Other students participated in spelling bees and spent time outdoors on the playground or in various sporting games.Turner Foltz would eventually teach at the school for 12 years before its closing in 1944. During this time he saw even more change to the education system. Textbooks became regulated by the state leading to more standardized curriculum. Even the length of the school year changed. When reminiscing about the earlier years of the school circa 1907 he recalled “the term of school then was five months. It must have been in the 1920’s the term increased two weeks each year until it increased to nine months.” As times began to change, transportation became more accessible, Basore School attendance began to fluctuate. By 1944, Turner Foltz was serving on the County Board of Education and he worked to change the county schooling system and took part in the construction of three larger centralized schools across the county. That year, the Basore one-room schoolhouse became obsolete like many in the county. Basore pupils transferred to the newly built Mathias School and it closed after over 100 years of operation. Today the building is in use as storage for the Foltz Litter Service, but the buildings historic character as a schoolhouse is still intact.

THIS IS A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.The Basore School was named after the Basore family, early settlers to the area. It was one of several schools built in this cove between the mountains. The original school built in 1840 was some half mile further up the cove and looked like a log cabin. By 1907 a new building was constructed and classes were offered to children in the area. This school provides insight into the lives of those who taught and learned in these buildings.By 1922 there were 48 students enrolled and a second room was added to accommodate them. These students had classes ranging from math and history to reading and geography. By 1944, there was a downturn in attendance at the school in the cove and it was closed. Much change had occurred both with the school, its pupils, and education spanning the 100 years it was open. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Nathaniel Bauder &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Basore School (1840 - 1944)

VISITORS ARE PERMITTED TO WALK THE PROPERTY. LEAVE NO TRACE BEHIND.The school was originally built on land belonging to Henry and Phoebe Feathers Cullers, although there seems to be some dispute about who owned the land at the time of the purchase. There was an earlier school structure on the site from 1879, when the land was purchased by the Board of Education. Little is known of this structure. A new, one room, single story, wooden school structure was built in 1898. The school soon outgrew itself and a second room was added in 1914. This room allowed for the older students to be separated from the younger ones. It also allowed for other activities to be performed inside while the main room was holding school. For over a half a century, Cullers Run School educated the young minds in that southwestern area of Hardy County. The original building was built for a cost of $137. That would translate into $4,151.52 in 2019 dollars. (Manuel, 2022) In those days the board of education and the local community itself was tasked with raising the money.Most of the children in attendance walked to the school or rode horseback. The school had no indoor plumbing. Water was drawn from the nearby creek or from the porch pump of the farm house that the property use to belong to. The site of the outhouse is not exactly known at this time but was supposed to somewhere behind the school.During an interview with a former student's descendant, a story was related that one stormy, snowy winter day, the teacher did not make it to the school but many of the children did. So all the kids spent the day at a neighbors' house popping corn and playing games for as long as necessary to return home from the storm. (Benoit, 2022)While corporal discipline was still used in West Virginia. an article from 1922 appears to disagree with or outright deny how children were punished in schools. “Lickin’ and larnin’” have broken their unsavory partnership, the teacher no longer able to resort to corporal punishment, secures better discipline by methods which calls for great resourcefulness.” (BRB, 1922).In 1989 a group of volunteers began to restore the school. That year, it was opened at the Heritage Festival and has been open every year since excluding 2020 and 2021 when Covid caused cancellations. The school would also have a class reunion biennially but that too was canceled in 2020 due to Covid. They expect to resume in 2022.The school is a real treat to see. It is filled with period authentic materials such as the water glasses and lunch pails the students used. The original stove that came from the 1914 upgrade was moved to the original one room. There are a plethora of books, writing material, news articles and first person accounts of going to school there. It is a little bit off the beaten path in southwestern Hardy County but well worth the drive. In 2018, the Hardy County Tour and Crafts Association award Cullers Run School a small grant to collect the oral histories of the remaining students. Shefa Nola Benoit interviewed 6 classmates and created a website for the school that is not currently maintained by the school. Some of the videos can be found in the links below.

PRIVATELY OWNED. VISITORS ARE PERMITTED TO WALK PROPERTY - LEAVE NO TRACE. PARK ALONGSIDE ROAD - NOT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. THE SCHOOL IS OPENED DURING HERITAGE WEEKEND (SEPTEMBER).The cozy hot stove in the middle of the class warmed many a small hand and foot in those cold Hardy County winters. Built on Henry and Phebe Feathers Cullers land and opened in 1898, the Culler Run School served the Mathias area of the southwestern quadrant of Hardy County as a one room, then later two room school. One source claims that it was built on Ott Cullers property. (Whitson, 2008) “The current two-room school building sits on 1/2 acre of land that belonged to James and Rosa Shipe Cullers' estate and was purchased by Kenneth and Anne Shifflet in 1977.” (https://cullersrunschool.wordpress.com, 2021)The second room was added in 1914 and allowed for higher grade students to be separated from the younger ones or the second room could be used for other preparations as needed in the school. The school ultimately closed in 1956.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Mark Lambert &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Cullers Run School (1898 - 1956)

The original area school was named Grady but due to the structure's decline, it was closed. Topsy is a one-room, wood-framed structure that still stands at the top of Branch Mountain, about 5 miles on the left after leaving the Lost River State Park on Howards Lick Road in Mathias, WV. It operated from 1905 until 1942.As a one-room school house, there was one teacher who taught all 8 grades. Like may schools, the day ran from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM for at least 6 months out of the year. Topsy did eventually extend its teaching term from 6 to 9 months. Besides the standard education of reading, writing, arithmetic, and English, Topsy also had the benefit of musical instruction and performed an annual Christmas play.Common among these historical schools, the community supported them in many ways and, on occasion, the County would compensate such efforts. Daily, assigned students would carry in buckets of water from home and transfer it into a cooler. Community members also provided the school with its wood for the wood stove. The building had many uses, including church services and a hunting lodge.Today, it is closed up most of the year and blocked off. This writer has driven by it many times but it has never shown signs of activity.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Topsy is a one-room, wood-framed structure that still stands at the top of Branch Mountain. After leaving the Lost River State Park on Howards Lick Road, the school is located about five miles on the left. It operated from 1905 until 1942.As a one-room school house, there was one teacher who taught all eight grades. Like may schools, the day ran from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM for at least 6 months out of the year. Topsy did eventually extend its teaching term from 6 to 9 months. Besides the standard education of reading, writing, and arithmetic, Topsy also had the benefit of musical instruction and performed an annual Christmas play.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers/Fact Checkers: Shefa Nola Benoit

Topsy School (1905 - 1942)

There were two Lost City School buildings on Upper Cove Road. Both were two-room, wood-framed structures. The first one built in 1894 and became a residence. The second school was built in 1925, just further down the road from the first one about 1/2 mile.School days at Lost City School were consistent with those of other schools at that time. Each day began with the pledge, hymns, and devotions before embarking on standard studies which included English, history, math, science and more. Students brought their own lunches and had recess daily for both physical activity and socialization. Water was collected from a nearby stream. Depending upon funding, the school year could be anywhere from six to eight months and began at 9:00 AM and ended by 4:00 PM and only went to the 8th grade.The Moorefield Examiner has regular announcements about the Lost City School spelling bees which occurred with regularity. In approximately 1935, the students of received bus transportation to and from school. Before then, like all early school houses, students walked to school.The school also served the community beyond the education of their children. It hosted a variety of social meetings and boxed suppers. Even after it closed in 1966, the structure remained in service to the community by first becoming a voting precinct, community action branch center and now, a community clothing bank. Some traditions die hard!

PRIVATELY OWNED COMMUNITY BUILDING. ACCESS TO DRIVEWAY. DO NOT TRAVERSE PROPERTY.There were two lost city schools between 1894 - 1966, both two-room, wood-framed structures. In addition to instructing students through 8th grade for six to eight months each year, the school served as a community hub, as it does today. The Lost City School is now the Lost City Community Clothing Bank (which is temporarily closed) and provides needed essentials to the community.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearcher: Shefa Nola Benoit

Lost City School (1894 - 1966)

How do you decide where to build a school? During the early 1900’s it depended on a couple of things. Where land was available, proximity to school aged children to constitute a school, accessibility to the larger community. Transportation, financing, and attendance were all large factors in determining school location, especially schools in the mountains of West Virginia’s Hardy County. To help cut down on the travel and make the building more accessible to as many as possible a central location was chosen for construction. In the more rural places of West Virginia schools were established based on need. When a local community had enough youth to require the construction of a school the board of education would provide funds for the community to construct one and a teacher would be hired. Funds would come from state and local taxes to pay the teachers but not always to build the buildings. Commonly the community which wanted the school would donate both the supplies and labor to construct them.With the destruction of the Terra Alta School on the opposite side of the mountain it was decided by those living near Fravels Run that they would build a new school for their students to attend closer to home. With land being purchased by Saul Wilkins from Lula Hefner this site was chosen for the construction of a new one room schoolhouse. While present day most of us take the bus or car to school most students who attended Fravels Run School walked. School would last between 5 and 6 months beginning in October. That would mean not only did they have to walk in nice weather but the cold and snow as well. As long as the teacher could make it, school was in session. Most parents would take pity on the children however not wanting them to arrive frost bitten for their morning geography lesson and would bring them on horseback or sleigh/carriage during the colder months. The teacher would also typically travel to school by horseback.The school building served as a space for multiple occasions including spelling bees.Parents even came and competed against their children. Box supers, preaching festivals, and hymn songs were held at the school as well. It was not unusual in general for school houses to be used on Sundays for the purpose of prayer and Fravels Run was no different.Even though the school closed in 1946 its location on the landscape and its legacy can still tell us much about the period of one room schoolhouses. They were central to the community and the community came together to build them. But in the rural mountains of Hardy County transportation would always be an issue no matter how central a building was constructed. The lengths students would travel as well as the work and donation of goods to building the school show how important education was to those of the Fravels Run area.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.This building is the first structure on the right on Luther Heishmann Road (off of Big Ridge Road) in Baker. A one-room school in the mountains is common throughout West Virginia and especially in Hardy County. Fravels Run School built in 1899 is one of these schools which allowed students to get an education from grades 1-6. This building was built on land purchased for construction of a new school by the families of those who attended the Terra Alta School, which was destroyed by fire. Before its closure in 1946, many students learned, played, and made friends here. It wasn’t uncommon for students to arrive for class after walking up to two miles just to get to school. In between classes, students could be seen using the neighboring four-acre lot to keep themselves occupied with all sorts of games. No matter the weather, school was kept in session as long as the teacher could make it to the schoolhouse. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Nathaniel Bauber &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Fravels Run School (1899 - 1946)

It’s no wonder how the Terra Alta School, which once stood on Big Ridge overlooking miles and miles of rolling pastures and scenic mountain scapes, got its name. Translated from Italian or Latin to mean “high ground.” Though today only a stone foundation footprint of the school house remains, Terra Alta School was once a well used and well-loved for former students and community members. Thought to have opened in 1902, the school educated pupils for over forty years before closing in 1948. Former students recall their days beginning at 9:00am and lasting until 4:00pm for four to six months out of the year, but often adjusting their schedules based on the weather. Each school day began with devotions and was followed by reading, writing, arithmetic, civics, health, spelling and agriculture, which was a staple of life practically everywhere in Hardy County. Recess and time outside is fondly remembered by former students, until the winter months when the heat of the wood stove was more welcoming than shoes and coats soaked by knee-high snows. According to local newspapers, the school hosted Halloween parties and annual socials to raise money for the school and libraries. And while homemade goodies and a quality education are certainly worth traveling for, it is a wonder how students and locals navigated roads in and around the area without the modern conveniences of four-wheel drive and GPS units. Reva Souder Kave, who taught at Terra Alta from 1935-1936 recalled the challenges of navigating the area after a flood in the spring of 1936. She remembered roads and bridges being completely washed out, and having to walk four to five miles to meet her brother, who would pick her up on weekends.As you drive up this road in search for the remaining stone foundation, imagine making this trek on foot, as a youngster, and in various elements! It's a daunting and humbling thought and a great conversation to have with current students who walk short and usually paved paths to school.Terra Alta School, like many other rural schools, were strategically built in places convenient for those who lived and worked in the immediate area, hollow or ridge. Unable to travel to larger towns, parents and community members often took education for their children into their own hands, and built simple school structures for local learners. Though the locations were often not far from most family’s homes, the trek to and from class could still be treacherous. Some roads that were initially created for logging and timber productions helped facilitate transportation and laid the groundwork for modern road networks throughout the county. Though a number of logging and timber production operations remain in Hardy County today, no students are navigating the timber roads of years past to attend class at Terra Alta school. New adventurers who make it to the spot where the school once stood are treated with fantastic views and a slice of local history.

<h3>Terra Alta School Road is a long road that gets difficult to traverse and dead ends.</h3> FOOT ACCESS AVAILABLE. PARK ON ROAD. LEAVE NO TRACE.Though little remains of Terra Alta School which once stood at the crest of Big Ridge, the stone foundation and basic wooden marker serves as a reminder of the schoolhouse’s past and the families that lived and worked on the ridge. While seemingly isolated from other rural communities, the Terra Alta School and Big Ridge is connected to the rest of Hardy County through the logging and agricultural industry and roads of the region, which have evolved and changed with the landscape. Some of the area’s first major improved road networks were petitioned for as early as the 1860s and as local industry grew, so did the demand for connection and transportation. Terra Alta students, whose families may have supported local logging and timber industry, relied on their own two feet, and maybe the occasional sled or horse to help them traverse this beautiful, yet daunting terrain.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Eva Blankenhorn &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Terra Alta School (1902 - 1948)

The Mine Spring School house is remembered by students and community members alike as being a staple of Kimsey Run. The Mine Spring School that stands today is believed to have opened between 1882 and 1908, after an older building was torn down. The quaint white building, with its large side windows and covered front porch is remembered to have been warmed by a large pot belly stove in winter months, fueled by wood donated by local farmers. A teacher’s platform, a recitation bench and Blackboards occupied the front of the room, and boys and girls sat on separate sides of the aisle at what former students remembered as “old-time desks.” One student, who attended the school from 1908 to 1916 remembered days beginning at 8:00am and lasting until 4:00pm in the afternoon, with two recesses encouraging play around the school and sledding in the winter months. Lunches were packed by students, and water was provided from the hand pump outside of the building. Besides traditional school days where reading, writing, spelling, arithmetic and history were taught, parents were also invited to holiday parties and celebrations on the last day of school. Community members also used the space for other events and meetings. The local 4-H group met regularly in the Mine Spring schoolhouse when school wasn’t in session. 4-H, an agricultural group that was started in 1902 with a mission of racing rural youth, was popular in Hardy County, and was active in the Kimsey’s Run. The 4-H group planned and hosted events like the Old Fiddlers Contest in May of 1939 that celebrated music and musicians in the area. The Mine Spring School was also host to one of forty different “Food For Freedom” meetings being held across Hardy County in February of 1942. These meetings, sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture and hosted in communities by county agents and the Homemakers Association, called on farmers of America to support the Second World War effort through their crops and yields. This nationwide program was supported by agricultural communities much like those in Hardy County, West Virginia, which even today remains a hub for poultry and cattle farming. Rationing, or limiting consumption of goods so that excess could be diverted to the ongoing war effort, was considered a newfound duty of every American and the importance of farming and agriculture was recognized at a national level. Driving past the school house today, it’s not too hard to imagine what a staple this structure was in the community.

CURRENTLY SERVES AS A MENNONITE CHURCH. ACCESS THROUGH DRIVEWAY WHEN SERVICES ARE NOT IN SESSION. DO NOT TRAVERSE PROPERTY.The Mine Spring School, which opened to students in the Kimsey Run area at the turn of the 19th century, and has always served as a community hub. Used for formal education, Sunday afternoon preaching, 4-H meetings, music competitions and cake walks, the site was also a part of Hardy County’s efforts to support nationwide agriculture endeavors during the second World War. Today, the former school building retains much of its original character and is owned by the Salem Mennonnite Church. Though it is believed that the building may have been moved at some point, the hand pump used for sourcing water can still be seen just across the road from the front porch. The former Mine Spring School continues to serve as a place for gathering within the Kimsey Run community.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers/Fact Checkers: Eva Blankenhorn &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Mine Spring School (1908? - 1951)

Before Old Fields was settled by the Van Meters it was home to the native Shawnee Indians. The current Old Fields School was built in 1812 and is still standing. Also known as common school, the structure was constructed and largely funded through the labor of enslaved people, and started functioning as both a school and church in 1815. The current building was preceded by an Old Fields School (circa 1748), which was also a church, in the form of a log structure.Old Fields received its name because it “sat in an old field”. As white settlers moved west during the 17th and 18th centuries in what is the modern day United States, the land was densely forested. Every now and then a plain field “made treeless by Indians (First Nation People), who used the cleared area to grow squash, Indian corn, and other crops” was found. When settlers came across these fields, they were either still in use or had been “abandoned for more fertile pastures”. These fields were old, contrasted to the “new clearings made by the ax, fire and plow of the white settlers”. When George Washington was in Old Fields in 1748 surveying lands for Lord Fairfax, the Shawnees were still in the area under famed chieftain Killbuck. Killbuck left Old Fields with his people for Ohio a few years later in 1753. The Old Field School that stands today was constructed in 1812 and started serving as both a school and church in 1815. There was originally an outside flight of steps that “led to a gallery occupied by enslaved people during worship services” that no longer exists. There were doors that suspended from the ceiling of that gallery that separated the building into two rooms when school was in session. The room nearest to the door was the school. The room divider was folded back up against the ceiling during services. Colonial education at Old Fields School was “neglected during the French and Indian War”. When the local residents felt it was time, they hired a schoolmaster who was sometimes also the preacher. In 1825, a six-month teaching term paid “$1.75 every quarter, one third to be paid in cash and the rest in grain.”The Old Fields school is not only a piece of history, but it survived through many tough times. It was standing many years before slavery was abolished and was even visited by George Washington. From its first log cabin structure during the French and Indian War to the brick building that still stands today, Old Fields School is certainly a story of endurance. The school operated from 1812 until 1948 when consolidation practices demanded a newer four-room Old Fields School.

PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY THE MENNONITE CHURCH. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Located just past Bueno Vista Farms on US Highway 220/WV-28 in Moorefield and before the Old Fields Country Store, the "Fort Pleasant Meeting House" sign (see photos) on the left marks the entrance to Old Fields School. You can observe the school in the distance from the road. Exercise caution as you pull over.The Old Fields School, also known as the Fort Pleasant Meeting House and Old Fields Church, is located six miles north of Moorefield. This school was built by one of the original settlers in the area, Issac Van Meter, and is now the oldest school in West Virginia. It was constructed in 1812 and is still standing today. Issac Van Meter's tombstone can be seen in the cemetery outside the building. It was said Isaac donated all of the money needed to build the school and it was deeded to the Methodist Church.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: James Seth Collins &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Old Fields School (1815 - 1948)

Unlike the first Dover School, this one is a two-room schoolhouse and often had two teachers. Inside the school, there is a kitchen that was added before 1950 and fitted with a wood and coal stove. Since it was larger than the first schoolhouse, this school had an enrollment of approximately fifty students in grades first through sixth. The students sat at desks with lifted tops and inkwells and sat upon benches that opened to house their books. Also not seen in the first school, but implemented at this one, was the element of play. The students could wander as far as they wished, as long as they could “hear the bell to return to class.” Some activities that students engaged in were swinging from grapevines, rolling in old automobile tires, and playing with homemade balls and bats. Mrs. Lena Coby recalls “playing such games as hide and seek, red rover, which was her favorite, crack the whip, and London Bridge.” She also said how marbles were the favorite game of the boys.This new school did not have running water initially, so students got their water from a stone cooler in the back of the school, similar to the format of their earlier school. Later though, water was supplied through an inside fountain and used in the kitchen. Even though there was a kitchen within the school, both teachers and students packed their own lunches. If you were to step back in time, you could catch a glimpse at what the students would often wear to school. In the winter they would wear long handle underwear, long brown stockings, dresses, bib overalls, pants, and lace oxfords. In the summer, they wore “bobbie socks” and Black pattern leather T-strap shoes–while others wore what they could find. Any additional clothing not currently being worn was hung on the walls since there were no cloakrooms provided.Sickness plagued this school on several occasions. In November of 1933, a traveling nurse by the name of Miss Flora Williams visited the school due to it having several cases of scarlet fever. This year was also the year when enrollment was “larger than ever before, that number being seventy.” They had to tear out a partition to enlarge a room to fit all the students. The following year, cases of chickenpox spread through the school. Fortunately, the vast majority of the students were feeling well enough to put on a Christmas play soon after. Unfortunately, this school closed around 1966. It was used as a storage area by the Board of Education for a time, before being abandoned and falling into the state you see it in today.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.This school is located across from the Moorefield Baptist Church (see sign in photos) near 525 Dover Fort Run Road, Moorefield.When the peak of student enrollment happened in Fort Run, those students passed through the doors of the second Dover School for their education. The second Dover School, or the “New Dover School” was established around 1930. As seen with its predecessor, this school also became a hub for the community. The school before you closed around 1966 and was used as storage for a time by the Board of Education before falling into the state you see it in today.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Mary Ann Steinmiller &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Dover School #2 (1930 - 1966)

The Dover School was a one-room schoolhouse that taught grades first through sixth. There would have only been one teacher for the approximately twenty to twenty-five students in attendance. There were no water facilities, except for the well outside. The students brought their own cups to school, and the water was stored in a crock on a shelf in the back. Thanks to Mr. Elmer Cook, the school was always stocked with firewood and warmed for the students every day before class began. He also ensured that the water jug was filled every morning, waiting for the “thirsty little pupils.”Students and teachers traveled anywhere from three to five miles one way to school—most of the time walking. Though in the winter, “the students rode their sleds to school.” School days of years gone by were also shorter than today, a typical school day at this school lasted from nine a.m. to four p.m. Subjects such as reading, spelling, history, and geography were taught, and prayer was said first thing in the morning. As for punishment, if a naughty student were to use the outside toilet without asking, they would have to receive the rest of their lessons for the day standing. As mentioned above, the Dover School was a central part of its community. According to numerous newspaper reports, several events happened at this school. Those events ranged from political debates about women’s suffrage in 1913 to a funeral in 1916. During one debate held at the Dover School, for his argument supporting women’s suffrage, Benjamin Dietz stated, “that the women at home making clothing and darning the holes in the heels of the socks of their husbands or sons, when they were out at war, were just as worth a vote as the man.” There were also many festivals and fundraisers held here to raise funds to support the school, one raised $28.40 for the library. One festival, held in 1908, involved a graphophone and a moving picture entertainment show. It was a crowded house and “worth your money.”It is important to note that people of the past are still human and were inflicted with real ailments. By examining the pages of the Moorefield Examiner, one would see in 1912, the school closed for several weeks because the teacher, Miss V. Stepheson, was bound to her room due to pneumonia. In later years, the school was inflicted with more sickness, which you can read in the entry for the second Dover School. This first school closed its doors around 1930.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.You can observe this school by peering through the woods across from 546/550 Dover Hollow Road. From funeral parlor to classroom, the walls of the Dover School have seen it all. Well established by 1908, the first Dover School is still standing today. In its day, the school taught a wide age range of children and was central to its community. Several documents and newspapers provide a glimpse into the various events that were hosted in the school such as moving picture shows (movies), fairs, and even funeral services. This building is a prime example of how schools were, and still are, more than simple buildings of knowledge, but living components of their community. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Mary Ann Steinmiller &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Dover School #1 (1908? - 1930)

Segregation, Dedication of a SchoolThe 1896 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Plessy v. Ferguson, which allowed states to legally discriminate and segregate based on race, was upheld for fifty-eight years. If you were an African American in West Virginia during this period and wanted and education you were required to attend an all Black school. Hardy County had 5 African-American schools: Alum Bank, Fisher, Run, Sanders, and Wallace. School segregation was mandated by the state constitution and by 1954 there were 420,000 white and 26,000 Black students enrolled in the state. These schools routinely were underfunded, under equipped, cramped, and had under qualified teachers or limited teachers due to funding shortages. Students were given second hand books and band equipment passed down from white high schools.Eventually, African American schools were consolidated in the county to form Sanders School in Moorefield. As the only African American school in the county it also had students from Grant, Pendleton, Hampshire, and Greenbrier county. This required students to be bused or taxied to the school each day.The dedication of the new school was covered in several of the local newspapers. Leading up to the dedication on Sunday October 28th, 1951 a week of celebration and activities were held. Mrs. W. W. Sanders the wife of the late Dr. W.W. Sanders, the school's namesake, was invited as the guest speaker. Sanders during his life time had been a great advocate of the African American schools in the state. He served as “State Supervisor of Negro Schools in West Virginia from 1914 to 1932… during his 18 years as State Supervisor and for the rest of his life he insisted and fought for a better educational system in West Virginia.” During this period he made progress in updating school facilities, hiring certified teachers and implementing a standard of instruction for the classrooms. The name was well chosen for the school in honor of an individual who dedicated their life to making education better for the African American community in West Virginia. This new school saw increased enrollment from its start with ninety- nine students being taught by five teachers, Raymond Radcliffe, Principle, Jeannette Simms, Sara Brooks, Catherine Payne, and Molly Harvey. According the the forty-first Report of the State Superintendent of Free Schools, thirty-nine counties in West Virginia had “Negro schools” in 1953. The report also indicated that “the personnel of the schools visited was highly qualified,” with 71.1 percent of elementary and high school teachers having sixteen or more years of teaching experience, and one hundred percent of “Negro school” principles having a Master’s degree. During the seven years of the schools operation graduating classes regularly consisted of 10 students per year. They were very proud of their school developing a school song and class colors of blue and white. Sanders we love you with all our heart, You are the best we knowOh do you think we really loseOur old maroon and gold.Sanders we love you and ne’er departAs friendship through the yearsWe’re always hold you in our heartBecause we love you dear.Chorus: For old Sanders High my dearFor old Sanders High. We’re cheer and shout and do our best for good old Sanders High.Even with the Supreme Court verdict in 1954 ruling that “separate but equal” was no longer permitted in education the State of West Virginia was slow to integrate. By a year after the supreme court decision only 12 counties had desegregated their public schools. In a letter from Principle Radcliffe to T.G. Nutter he addresses some issues Hardy County faced in integrating schools. “When we organized the Negro High School here eight years ago we found a community that I would have classified as southern in majority thinking… we wanted change, but things don’t change because we think they should. Things are changed by changing people’s hearts and thinking… then comes integration, with our county bordering on Virginia and having 4 or 5 Northern Virginia dailies coming into it you can see what we are up against.”By 1958 Hardy County had integrated their schools and those students who had previously attended Sanders School now attended Moorefield High. This integration faced opposition on both sides as racist beliefs from the white community and worry from the Black community as African American teachers lost their jobs, and students were treated as inferior to their white classmates persisted. By 1959 the building was turned over to its present owners today, the Hardy County Board of Education where it is used as an office and meeting space still today.

CURRENT SCHOOL BOARD BUILDING. CAN ACCESS PARKING LOT.Segregated schools were the norm throughout the United States from the 19th century through the mid 1950's and West Virginia was no exception. Five schools in Hardy County were specifically designated as African American Schools throughout this period: Alum Bank, Fisher, Run, Sanders, and Wallace. Built toward the end of Jim Crow, Sanders School was an African American school. While it was referred to as "separate but equal" things such as transportation, access to resources, and funding were not equal. It opened its door in October of 1951 and served grades kindergarten through 12. The school also permitted adult learners to return to receive their high school diploma. It would be the only African American School in operation in the county by that time.Despite resistance to integration, by 1959 the school was no longer in operation as the 1954 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court held that “separate but equal” had no place in public education. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Nathaniel Bauder &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Sanders (African-American) School (1950 - 1959)

In 1867, the Board of Education purchased the Run School property for the purpose of education for $150.00 . Run school originally began as a 1st - 8th grade school. After Wallace School was constructed (school no longer extant), Run School taught Primer to 4th grade while Wallace School taught 5th to 8th grade.Within its small structure, Run School had well-oiled floors, a coal-burning stove, a library, a kitchen, and a cook. Students could pack their lunch or eat at school. Wallace School did not have a kitchen so students packed their lunch or went home for eat.Neither Run nor Wallace Schools had playground equipment. Students entertained themselves by playing games with classmates. A typical day started started at 8:45 AM with devotions, the Pledge, and singing songs like Ol’ Black Joe and Swanee River. Students received instruction a wide range of subjects including arithmetic, reading, spelling, language, health, history, geography, handwriting, and social studies. They also had access to a 136 volume library. Inside, there was a ceramic blue and white water cooler in the back of the room and a coat rack along one wall. Each desk had a hole for an ink well and students used a wooden fountain pen. There was no electricity in the early days, that didn't come until later. School programs were usually held at the nearby Ashbury United Methodist Church.The school closed in 1950 when both Run and Wallace schools consolidated into Saunders School.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Run School was one of five African American schoolhouses in Hardy County and one of three that were located in Moorefield. It was built in 1867 and operated until 1950.In its prime, Run School had well-oiled floors and a coal-burning stove in the middle of the room. The school day was from 8:45 AM until 3:45 PM and offered instruction in arithmetic, reading, spelling, language, health, history, geography, handwriting, and social studies. Run School had their own library with an impressive 136 volumes for their students . Students also participated in 4-H and Junior Red Cross. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearcher: Shefa Nola Benoit

Run School (1867 - 1950)

This information is sourced from: Whitson, Suzanne W. Early Hardy County, WV Schools: The 1976 Bicentennial Project, 2008.Toll Gate School was a place of learning remembered fondly, but its initial start date is unknown. It is recalled by not only those who passed through her doors but also the Moorefield community. The original structure, a two-room schoolhouse, had its side facing Route 220 with two doors that lead into the school. On the same grounds was a large field that many children used as a playground before school and during recess.  During its existence, Toll Gate School did not have plumbing. Instead the school had two outhouses. One for the boys and one for the girls. Water was also carried, presumably by bucket, down a hill from Mr. Carl Welton’s home.The water collected from the well also served as drinking water and was put into a crockery cooler. The cooler then sat in the school’s coat room. Each student had their own cup that they could either bring from home or make at school with paper. For many students it was a thing of pride to have the biggest or best looking cup. Some students had more than one cup. For heating, the schoolhouse had a long flat iron stove that burned either coal or wood. The community surrounding the school often donated wood. A fire was started each morning by a student janitor who was also expected to keep up the rest of the schoolhouse. His efforts were rewarded monthly by receiving a small payment. For many, the schoolhouse was the center of community fun and would host multiple holiday events, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving programs; something that both students and their families could enjoy. The Toll Gate School officially closed its doors in 1973, but the building is still currently in use.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Moorefield, West Virginia was a thriving community that prided itself on its education and sense of community. Though originally just a two-room schoolhouse, Toll Gate School educated many. Its present day quiet and quaint appearance is a stark contrast to what was once a bustling and thriving schoolhouse. Those who attended remember it affectionately as a place of learning, laughter, and social fun.This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: Megan Nielson &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Toll Gate School (1867 - 1973)

The building before you is not the same structure that opened in 1882. The first school was a one-room framed building with two windows on both sides and inside was full of two seated desks, a teacher's desk with a chair, and a potbelly stove used for heating. The Frosty Hollow School suffered a fire in 1917 and the building burned to the ground. Soon after the fire, the school was rebuilt into the building you see today. It taught grades one through eight. Since the closing of its doors, it has become a residential home.The school did not have a playground, but they played ball, fox and goose, and around Christmas and Halloween they always had plays and parties. There were also many spelling bees, country field days, festivals, and on the last day of school, a picnic was held and all of the parents were invited. The school did not have punishments, but for “mischievous students,” they had to learn a poem and get up in front of the class to recite it.Cecil Smith attended Frosty Hollow School when he was a child around 1920. He can be seen in the attached photo, he is the “youngster who is center-front in the picture.” He remembers his days within the walls of the school fondly. He talked about the potbelly stove and how the bigger children were supposed to stand in the “crisp air while the primer boys and girls got the heat.” The children shared one toilet—the girls went first and then the boys. It was not until the last year that he attended the school that the Board of Education saw the need for another toilet so a new one was built for the boys. The students also carried their water—it came from a spring at Sarah Weatherholtz’s house. Smith said by the time he and a fellow classmate would bring back the water, the students had “forgotten they were thirsty.” When he was in school, enrollment was twenty-two with an even number of boys and girls.In 1932, the school hosted a program to honor George Washington. The program encompassed the hanging of Washington’s portrait, the singing of America, a three-act play, a flag drill, singing of the Star-Spangled Banner, and a flag salute. The entire community was invited to attend. In the 1940s the school was also used to hold church services and to teach Sunday school. The building ceased to be a school in 1957.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.From schoolhouse to family home, this school has a long history within its walls. The Frosty Hollow School opened in 1882 and was a center of activity for this community. The structure before you has been a school, a church, a theater, and an event space. As was the norm at the time, every morning would start with the pledge of allegiance, the Lord’s prayer, and saying grace. This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearchers: MaryAnn Steinmiller &amp; Shefa Nola Benoit

Frosty Hollow School (1882 - 1957)

This school was first formed when the area was referred to as Masonville (the first name for the school). The name of the area changed to Dumpling Run and is now referred to as Moorefield.Ketterman School was built on Dumpling Run Road; a one-room log framed structure on a stone foundation with a tin roof. Like most one-room schoolhouses, there was a central wood stove that kept the school warm during colder months and no doubt heated up drinks or soup to warm the belly. According to former classmates, "the stove would get so hot that the pine rosin would run out of the post" that supported the brick chimney. Others reported that "the old stove caught on fire many a time." (Whitson, page 167)Students today may be surprised to know that Ketterman School pupils had to bring their own cups for drinking and, since there was no water at the school, had to go to neighboring homes with a cooler to collect water and carry it back.As you drive up Dumpling Run Road, imagine having to walk to school, through all types of weather. No matter which end of Dumpling Run Road you lived on, you faced a steep hill at least one way of the journey. Now imagine having to carry a cooler full of water for your entire class for the day!Today, the road is still rocky and shrouded with forest on both sides of it. It doesn't take a vivid imagination to picture yourself as a young student walking to school in this still wild environment.After all that effort to get to school, it didn't make much sense to get in trouble but, if you did, you could expect to either stand in the corner, wear a dunce hat, or stay in for recess. I suspect if you were chronically mischievous, you may have been prohibited from enjoying the many special activities such as the Christmas play, spelling bees, or baseball games Ketterman students looked forward to.This beloved school closed down for good in 1962.

PRIVATE PROPERTY. EXERCISE CAUTION AS YOU OBSERVE FROM THE ROAD.Ketterman School was built on Dumpling Run Road; a one-room log framed structure on a stone foundation with a tin roof. As you drive up Dumpling Run Road, imagine having to walk to school, through all types of weather. No matter which end of Dumpling Run Road you lived on, you faced a steep hill at least one way of the journey. Now imagine having to carry a cooler full of water for your entire class for the day!This is a Mountain Heritage Trails project made possible through the support of the Hardy County Convention &amp; Visitors Bureau, the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area AmeriCorps program, and the West Virginia University Fulcrum Project.Heritage Trail Project Coordinator: Shefa Nola BenoitResearcher: Shefa Nola Benoit.

Historic Schoolhouses of Hardy County, WV - Complete Tour

Thrasher Spring School (1880? - 1948)

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources