Gramley Schoolhouse

Rebersburg, PennsylvaniaWhat was education like in Penns Valley and beyond during the 1900’s?

What is the Gramley Schoolhouse?-The Gramley Schoolhouse was originally built in 1838 in Miles

Township, Pennsylvania, which is now a part of the Penns Valley Area School District.

-The Gramley Schoolhouse was orginally located on Route 192 and Back Road in Miles Township and was used at this location until about 1921.

-The Gramley Schoolhouse was one of the “two mile one room schoolhouses” scattered around Miles Township in the 1900's.

-The Gramley Schoolhouse was moved to Rebersburg in the early 1924 and continued to be used for education.

-The Gramley Schoolhouse was recently restored in order to preserve the history of education in Miles Township.

-The Gramley Schoolhouse will open as a public historical museum in the near future.

Why was there a need for a school every two miles?

The map above was created in 1861. It shows where people lived in Miles Township during this time in history. In order to prevent the

children from walking too far, the township decided to build a school every 2 miles, hence the name,

“two mile schools.”

What was education like in the United States in the early 1900's?

Education during the 1900's consisted of the basics, which was a reflection of the frugality in rural communities. The curriculum was what is referred to as the “3 R's,” reading, writing, and arithmetic. Students were also taught “good manners” and were expected to recite and drill lessons on a daily basis.

Teachers were normally unmarried women who were not much older than most of the students. The teachers had few supplies and were expected to teach grades one through eight. The students ranged in age and ability levels, which presented quite a challenge!

Education was important to and supported by the community. Local citizens provided wood to fuel the iron stoves in the winter and helped to maintain the building. Community members valued education and put forth the effort to educate their children.

Click on the link below to see one room school houses from across the country. http://oneroomschoolhousecenter.weebly.com/americas-one-

rooms.html

Were one room schoolhouses common in the United States?

● The map above shows one room schoolhouses located across the country. The map does not reflect every one room schoolhouse located in the United States but demonstrates the commonality of these unique

educational institutions.

Features of One Room School Houses

● Blackboards/Slates● Wooden desks● Coat closets (1 for boys and 1 for girls)

● Privy or pits (restrooms)

● Coal burning pot bellied stove for heat in winter

● Bell towers to call students to class

● Water bucket and dipper for drinking water

What about the students of the Gramley School House?

What were they like?

Students of the Gramley Schoolhouse

1889

Students of the Gramley Schoolhouse

1907

Typical Daily Routine for Students in a One Room School House

● 5:00 a.m rise and shine for morning chores● 6:30 a.m. Breakfast with the family● 7:15 leave for the 2 mile walk to school● 8:30 School begins – National Anthem, the

Lord’s Prayer, and daily Bible readings

● Spelling, arithmetic, and penmanship

● 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Recess● Story time, music, and science● 4:00 head for home

Gramley School Students 1889

Fond Memories of One Room School Houses

● The song below is an Edison Sound Recording which depicts the memories of two young boys who attended a one room

schoolhouse in the 1900's. The boys discuss what discipline was like when they attended the “Little Red Schoolhouse” and how they wish they could go back to those carefree,

mischievous days! http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/papr:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(edrs+50962r))+@field(COLLID+edison))

More School House Memories“This boy Johnny Myers. I can remember I was very scared. He

climbed up this tree because he did not want to go back to class after recess. The teacher kept trying to talk him down and he would not come down so the big boys shook the tree and he did come down.

She broke off a switch and she beat him. Oh my, did she switch him. He did not climb a tree again and he was a good kid after that.”

-Excerpt from interview with Mabel McCormick who attended Irish Ridge School in Preston County, West Virginia

“My fondest memory of Gramley Schoolhouse is when we built a globe. We covered a balloon with newspaper. We would put a layer of newspaper and let it dry and put on another layer. We let the balloon down and we painted the globe. The oceans were blue and the land

was white.”

-Excerpt from interview with Vonnie Hettinger who attended Gramley School in Rebersburg, Pennsylvania

Memories Last a Lifetime!More School House Memories...

Memories of my education in a one-room schoolhouse are very many and dear to me. And I do remember most

everything. I started at age six in 1914 and finished the eighth-grade in 1922. First through eighth grades were taught to about thirty or more students. The school was Liberty in a little town called Woolsey now. When I was

growing up it was called Pitkin. There were two stores, the Pitkin post office, and Liberty School. The first graders

started to learn their ABCs and numbers from a large chart. Later we received our first book: The Primer. From there we

were learning words and some arithmetic.

-Excerpt from interview with Reppie Smith who attended Liberty School in Arkansas.

Teachers of One Room Schoolhouses● Many unmarried women were

teachers.● If a woman married while she was

teaching, she was excused from her position, however male teachers were permitted to be married.

● Teachers were very strict and ruled with an “iron fist.”

● Teachers expected students to be respectful and follow the rules.

● Teachers contacted parents via notes if a student was in trouble at school.

● Teachers focused on teaching reading, writing, arithmetic, and good manners

● Teachers were in charge of taking care of the inside of the building, especially in the winter when the potbelly stove needed lit for heat each day.

● Teachers depended on the older students to help the younger students with their lessons.

Samuel BierlyGramley Schoolhouse Teacher

1910

C.C. SmullGramley Schoolhouse

Teacher1907

Other Known Teachers of the Gramley Schoolhouse

• Phyliss Bassett• Cephas Gramley• Harry Ziegler• Florence Smith• Alma Corman

What was it like for a teacher in a one room school house?

● Click on the link below to watch an interview with a former teacher of a one room school

house!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3oOwgRGVRA&noredirect=1

Why restore the Gramley Schoolhouse and other one room schoolhouses?

O Click on the links below to read about why the Gramley Schoolhouse was moved and

preserved!

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/tiny-rebersburg-schoolhouse-makes-short-move-

315270/?print=1

http://www.centredaily.com/2011/08/03/2866852/schoolhouse-set-to-move-this-month.html

Why is it important to preserve the one-room schoolhouses that are still standing in Arkansas?

Because it’s part of our heritage and history. You can’t visualize something unless you can see it. I can sit here and tell you about Korea and the things I saw there. But you can’t visualize it unless you’ve been there. If you don’t preserve

them, these younger children will have no idea about a one-room school.-Excerpt from an interview with Walter Rudolph who attended a one room

schoolhouse in Blackton, Arkansas.

Restored One Room Schoolhouse

O Many one room schoolhouses are being restored across the country. Click the link

below to tour a restored one room schoolhouse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqreoOCxCmM

Gramley School Restoration

Location prior to the move, next to Rebersburg Elementary

School.

Moving the Gramley Schoolhouse to its new location.

Almost there! Just a little farther!

Made it! New location- approximately 200 feet from

previous location.

Let the restoration begin!New siding is being installed to

match the original wooden siding.

And now for the new paint! With the help of many volunteers the Gramley Schoolhouse received a

fresh coat of red paint!

Restoration Continued…

One coat just about finished….one more to go!

The finished product! And now for a little indoor work!

Lots of repairs! Still working…. To see the final product inside you will have to take a little field trip with your

class!

Field Trip Time

O In order to truly understand the uniqueness of the one room schoolhouses, our class will visit the Gramley Schoolhouse! We will be given the opportunity to explore and experience what it

was like to be a student in a one room schoolhouse! Upon returning from our field trip, you and your partner will be asked to complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting current schools to one room

schoolhouses as well as current students to one room schoolhouse students.

The Gramley Schoolhouse Today

The hard work of the community has really paid off!