Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Early Schools of Southampton


Point Pleasant

The ground where the Point Pleasant School was built once belonged to Jacob Adams. He had willed it to his son William and wife Nancy (daughter of Joseph Powell). In 1873, the Adams' sold a piece of this land, consisting of 80 perches and fronting the public road to the Southampton School District for $1.00. The only two-room school in our township was built on this site. 1st-4th grades were taught in one room while 5th-8th were in the other. Point Pleasant was closed at the end of the 1954-1955 school term when the new Chaneysville Elementary School opened.

Walnut Grove


Francis Donahoe once owned the land where the Walnut Grove School stood until Dec. 2000 when it fell in during a windstorm. This land had been willed to Riley and Benton Bridges who sold 96 perches to the district for $10.00. When this school was erected in 1872 the students who previously went to the old log church/school at the foot of Tussey Mt. were transferred to Walnut Grove.

Gordon

The Gordon School once stood between two fields on the lower Black Valley Road. In 1871, John and Rebecca Gordon sold 80 perches of their land for $6.00. When it was closed in 1934 the children were bused to Point Pleasant by Herman Northcraft and Chris Brockey Sr.

Stony Lick


In 1846, Mr. James Walters leased the district a piece of ground for 99 years for the yearly rent of one half dime. The district was to build a public school, with the privilege of moving it at any time. But they never got the chance, somebody set it on fire. On the same triangular piece of ground another Stony Lick School was erected. It too was bordered on two sides by water and a slight knoll on the other, so it wasn't much a surprise for this school to be flooded from time to time. Even though Teacher Jessa Leasure and her 17 students had to be carried away to safety when the angry waters of the 1936 St. Patrick's Day Flood hit the school, it was arson again that destroyed it forever. According to school board minutes of May 16, 1941 a motion was made to use the Election house as a school for the remaining 14 days in that school term and to pay teacher Stella Bennett $1.80 per day to transport children there. The next two years the students were bused to the Mt. Zion School.

Prosperity

On Rt. 326 S. beside of the original Prosperity Church on 80 perches of ground that in 1869 belonged to Joseph and Margaret Bennett stands the Prosperity School. When it was closed in 1934, the children who once walked there were transported to the Browning School, near Hewitt, by Roy Wigfield and Ralph Fetters. Today, both the church and school are used as storage.

Browning

On Jan 1, 1870, Basil Browning agreed to lease 1/4 acre "for the establishment and support of Common schools for the consideration of fencing in the lot with post and rail fences". This school, which the district built, was known as the Browning School. In 1946 when the school was closed the district removed the building at their expense and the ground went back to the farm.

Blues Gap

Today this school is a hunting lodge.
Piney Lick
This school once stood on the land near the Chaneysville Fire Hall.
Flintstone Creek
In Nov. 1871, Henry and Nancy Ash leased 130 perches for $1.00 toward the Flintstone Creek School, located near the Mason-Dixon line, it was closed in 1945.

Collins

Amos and Nancy Collins sold 26 perches for $10.00 in 1874 so the district could build the Collin School. It was closed in 1942 and the children were bused to the Blues Gap School. Today this school has been converted into a house.

Please let me know if you have a photo of any of these old schools you'd like to share with the world. southamptonhistory@embarqmail.com

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