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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!

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 - North West Tour

Thrasher Spring School (1880? - 1948)

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources