Elm Grove Schoolhouse renovations planned

COUNTRYMAN, DAVIS, BAKER, TURNEY, EVANS, LEU, THADA, LITTLE, NELSON, BELKEN, LARSON

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 6/26/2009 at 16:48:19

"The Fairfield Ledger", Monday, June 22, 2009, front page and Page 7

Renovations planned for one-room schoolhouse
by Sarah Rhum
Ledger Lifestyles editor

It is amazing to think that anyone cound not notice something as large and obvious as a schoolhouse located directly in front of the main entrance to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, but it happens all the time with the Elm Grove District No. 4 School.

Gloria COUNTRYMAN, who attended the school in her youth, hopes to put together enough fund-raising efforts to repair the rafter system and increase the use of the one-room schoolhouse. The project is being supported by the Greater Jefferson County Fair Board and donors from within the community. Eventually, she would like the see the building used as an historic point of interest available for field trips, which also would include other historical community places including the Carnegie Museum, the Maasdam Barns, the Iowa State Fair boulder and other area features.

The building was moved to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds by a restoration committee after the school closed in 1960. Members of the restoration committee included Mac DAVIS, William R. BAKER, Dillon TURNEY, N. B. EVANS, Iliff LEU, Lillian THADA, Elbert LITTLE, Charles NELSON and George BELKEN.

"They wanted a representation of what the early schools were like," COUNTRYMAN said.

Renovations for the building are being planned to not take away from the historic preservation of the school.

"We want to keep the historical aspect of the building intact," she said, and will therefore avoid using metal shingles and other such modern modifications.

One interesting feature of the building which might seem historically inaccurate is a sink located in the back of the school. Most one-room schoolhouses would not have such a thing, but it was installed by the husband of one of the school-teachers who taught there. He apparently did not like the idea of his wife having to continually haul buckets of water back and forth to the schoolhouse and rigged a hose into the building to create a makeshift indoor plumbing system.

To create more public awareness about the project, the schoolhouse will be open from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. COUNTRYMAN will share information with anyone interested and organize popular games played by children who would have attended one-room schoolhouses each day at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.

COUNTRYMAN also has a long-term goal of collecting stories of individuals who attended school in one-

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room schoolhouses to create some sort of book or pamphlet. Anyone who have recollections of time spent in a one-room schoolhouse is welcome to attend the school sessions during the Jefferson County Fair.

The building is one of only 400 one-room schoolhouses left in the state of Iowa. At one time, there were approximately 100 school districts in Jefferson County, each with its own one-room schoolhouse. In 1924, there were 83 rural schools and six high schools. By May 1962, the 100 districts had become one, and the last rural school closed its doors.

In the Feb. 16, 1922 issue of the Weekly Ledger, Maurine LARSON wrote that people came and settled in the area around Elm Grove because the land was high and well drained. The Elm Grove School was surrounded by bushes and equipped with only benches and a fireplace. Between 40-60 students attended the school, and they sometimes would look up from their work to see a Native American looking through the window at them. The present school building was built in 1866, but it had been remodeled three times by 1922. Only 18 students attended the school in 1922.

The school year in the country schools were different to accommodate children of farming families. School was in session from October through May, which was in between the harvesting and planting seasons.

Community members can assist with the schoolhouse project in a variety of ways. Donations of funds, items which came from former one-room schoolhouses or books from the time period are welcome. Also, the school contains a Victrola in need of repair. To donate items, contact COUNTRYMAN at 472-9041.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

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