I like history, genealogy, antiques, old books, etc.
While looking at the numerous icons on my desktop, one caught my eye.
Union School House
This old 2 room school house was located at the foot of Tuppers Creek in Kanawha County, WV. The church I attended, Walker Chapel Baptist Church, stood across the road from it.
If I remember correctly, Union School taught grades 1,2,3,& 4.
From 1930 until 1960-61 it taught many children up a country road readin', writin' and arithmetic.
We lived approximately 2 miles up the holler from the school and my mother, who was born in 1924, attended Union. My sisters also went to this school, but it closed before I was old enough to attend.
All that remains are memories and photographs.
I attended Wallace Heights Grade School. It has now been turned into a school bus garage. Former students and teachers were invited to attend a farewell ceremony when they closed it down. My hand print is now on the cafeteria wall with my name under it.
I went to my first grade room and sat in the chairs. Those chairs seemed to be a lot smaller than I remember them. I walked through the playground where I used to swing and jump rope with my friends. I walked down the long row of steps which led to the road where we caught the school bus home. Then with a sad heart I said goodbye to an old friend.
Go here to see pictures of old schoolhouses in West Virginia.
If you have any memories of these schools or another school now closed and forgotten share your comments for all to enjoy.
Hi Little Sister,
ReplyDeleteLet me tell what I remember about Union School. I attended first through fourth grade there. The first and second grades were together in the room on the right side and the third and fourth on the left side. In the entry between the rooms was a water bottle where we got our drinking water. We got our water from the well outside the school house using the hand pump. We only lived one mile just up the dirt road from the school. We walked to and from school. The first day of my first grade year, I remember a bunch of us walking to school with our moms. Maybe some of your readers remember the name "Charlotte Pritt". She was with us on that first day and was one of my best friends while I attend Union School. I can remember the desks with a place to hold our pens and pencils and bottle of ink. In the upper grades, we used ink pens that had to be refilled with ink. There was an "out house" outside. The playground had no grass, just dirt and rock. We played games like chase and jump rope and marbles. Some boys would bring toy cars and play with them in the dirt. We took our lunch in metal lunch boxes. Some who did not have a lunch box used paper bags or lard cans. Girls could not wear pants or shorts to school. We had to wear dresses. In the winter when it was cold, we wore pants under our dresses. Mom made some of our dresses from hog feed sacks which had some type of print on them, usually flowers. Those were the "good old days" and we didn't even know it.
I like your blog.
Your Big Sis
Good blog, Janet. And your sister's comments are really interesting too.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your link to all of the old school houses in WV.
ReplyDeletejanet I really enjoyed this post and link to the WV culture sight with all the school pictures.
ReplyDeleteThe one I lived in is not in there.
Thank you for sharing it with me.
My Mom and Dad and two brothers went to Union School. I remember going with my brothers and how big the room looked. My grandmother lived on the hill behind the school and shared the well. I remember the two outhouses by the road. Opal Edens (if I remember right) was the janitor there. We later lived in the school building for a few years as my parents bought it at auction.
ReplyDelete