Every time I drive through Charlottesville and look at the old school I think about the memories contained in those four walls. I only wish it was in better condition.
The cornerstone of that building was laid on Aug. 23, 1936. A previous building at the site burned Dec. 23, 1935. The earliest schools of Jackson Township were located in the southwest portion of the township near Stringtown. These were private schools.
The first public school in the township was at Leamons Corner known as District 4. The building at Leamons Corner was 18-by-24 feet and had a large fireplace at the end of the building, a large chimney made of stick and clay. Greased paper covered the place where a log was cut out for a window. The roof was split shingled from blocks of wood held on by a pole over them. This was 1830, and no nails were available.
The floors were usually puncheon floors. These were split logs with the flat side up. Cracks between the floor boards were daubed with clay to keep out the cold. Seats were cut from slabs of wood and rubbed as smooth as possible. Wooden legs were bored into the seats.
Water came from a nearby stream, and all the students drank from the same bucket. All the equipment needed by the teacher included a boot jack and some switches to keep the students in line. Holes and pins in the wall served as hat and coat racks. The second building of this kind was erected on the east bank of Six Mile Creek north of Charlottesville on a hill known as Badger Hill. This makes the school of today look really good.
Enough. I have told you everything that I know and some things I don’t. Talk to me.
You can write to Joe Skvarenina at [email protected] or in care of the Daily Reporter at 22 W. New Road, Greenfield, IN, 46140.
