Fourth Genealogical Society calendar available

Thursday, November 19, 2009

By LENNY C. LEPOLA
News Assistant Managing Editor

If you’re looking for the perfect stocking stuffer for area residents, young or old, or even a holiday gift for friends and family living far away, members of the Delaware County Genealogical Society (DCGS) have just published their 2010 Disappearing Delaware County Calendar.

In its fourth year, the collector’s calendar features 14 of the many one-room schoolhouses that peppered Delaware County townships during an earlier and simpler day. The series began in 2007 with a calendar featuring older Delaware County homes still standing, lovingly cared for, and still in use. Subsequent editions were the 2008 Disappearing Delaware County Old Barns Calendar; and a 2009 calendar featuring one of life’s pre-plumbing essentials – outhouses.

Most school buildings featured in the calendar are in excellent condition, have found modern uses (many as homes), and the cover school house, the Perfect School on North Old 3C Highway, is currently being restored to close to its original condition.

Notes included on the calendar emphasize that rural schools from pioneer days through the 1920’s were much different than today’s consolidated districts with students bussed to centralized buildings and educated under the umbrella of state and federal regulations. Transportation and books were not furnished, and all grades were taught in the same room. Schools were paid for by local property tax collected by the county and paid to the township where schools were located.

A board of school directors, usually three in each sub-district, was selected by the people of that district. The sub-district board hired teachers, arranged for fuel, supplies and repair of the building. In later years teachers took an examination given by the Delaware County Board of examiners and were certified by them; female teachers were not allowed to be married until World War I.

Most land where one-room schoolhouses were built was under an easement arrangement. When the school building ceased to be used for education purposes, the agreement reverted ownership of the land and building back to the original owner, the original owner’s estate or followed the original owner’s deed.

Schools featured in the 2010 DCGS Disappearing Delaware County Calendar are: Hartford School, Trenton Township, built in 1885 and used as a township hall for many years following its use as a school building; Kingston Center School, Kingston Township on Ohio 521 and Carter’s Corners Road, served as a school until 1929 and today is used as the Kingston Township Hall; Berlin School, Berlin Township on Peachblow Road, served as a school until 1916 and then as a residence until 2000; Vans Valley School, Trenton Township, was a school building until 1926 and now serves as a private residence; Fisher School, Trenton Township, three miles northeast of Sunbury on Creek Road, was built in 1895 and is empty today but in good condition; Chickahominy School, Liberty Township, the most unique design featured in the one-room schoolhouse calendar, is located on Steitz Road on land once owned by Orrin and Rebecca Stallman; Hills School, on Home Road in Concord Township, was built on land once owned by Solomon and Mary Jackson Hill; Turkey Pen School, on Rutherford Road (formerly called Turkey Pen Road) in Liberty Township, was built on land owned by Frank Grum (a.k.a. Gromley, Grumley, Grombah); Liberty Township School, built in 1857 at the corner of Liberty and Bean Oller roads, was leased from Charles and Eliza Boardman for $1 for 25 years, or as long as used for a school; Haney School, Concord Township, was built on Section Line Road land sold to the board of education by James and Sarah Hamilton for $25; Swamp Angel School, Oxford Township, got its name from morning mist rising off nearby lowlands; Calhoun School, Concord Township, built in 1885 on land purchased from Thomas and Eliza Ramsey, features unique facade brickwork; Cheshire Street School, Berlin Township, has been used for grain storage, a mattress factory and is a residence today. North Old 3C residents Walter and Kathryn Sandel have the distinction of owning the one-room schoolhouse featured on the calendar cover.

In 1893, George and Emily Perfect sold a little over one acre of land to the Board of Education of Trenton Township for $100, and the school building, The Perfect School, was constructed during the same year. The school closed in 1926 when students began travelling to Sunbury for an education.

Kathryn Sandel said the restoration is a time-driven labor of love. “It’s a work in progress,” Sandel said. “A project like this is so wonderful because of the learning that happens. We look for clues as we work on the building, and people give us some ideas of what to do next when we’re stumped. The big question is, after the restoration, then what?” Sandel said there have been many interesting suggestions about how to use the Perfect School when the restoration is complete, but public use requires restroom facilities, ADA compliance, and a whole host of other state, county, and township code requirements.

Research and writing for the 2010 Disappearing Delaware County Calendar was done by Larry Dulin; proofreading by Millie Barnhart; and photographs of the schools are by Larry Dulin, Florabel Lacher, Eilen Rhonemus, Judy Shumway and Suzanne Allen. Larry and Connie Minor did the calendar graphic design package. 2010 Disappearing Delaware County Calendars can be purchased for $8 each at the Delaware County Historical/Genealogical Society Library at 157 East William Street, Delaware. Phone 740-369-3831 or email < dchsdcgs@verizon.net >.

The Delaware County Historical/Genealogical Society Library hours until mid-November are Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from 2 until 4:30 p.m. and from mid-November until March, Sunday and Thursday 2 to 4:30 p.m.

Calendars may also be purchased for $10 at the Myers Inn Museum and Gift Shop, 45 South Columbus Street, Sunbury. The Myers Inn Museum is open 12 noon until 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For information call 740-965-1154 or visit the Big Walnut Area Historical Society website at < http://BigWalnutHistory.org >.