Country School Association of America

10 Schools Inducted into National Schoolhouse Register

Preservation Efforts Signified by CSAA Marker

By Richard Lewis

The National Schoolhouse Register is a listing of schools determined to be significant and contribute in some positive way to the appreciation and understanding of the country school experience and their unique architectural and historical heritage. We are pleased to recognize preservation efforts for this part of American educational history and hope that this recognition will, in some way, continue to help their efforts.  

Markers are awarded to school buildings that are at least 50 years old, that have been restored, renovated or reconstructed to retain the integrity of their original design, and are well maintained. It is the hope of the Country School Association of America that this registry and the subsequent marker will not only serve to identify school buildings of historical and/or architectural significance, but will also recognize preservation achievements and encourage the continuing care and preservation of each individual school.

 

Applications for the registry and a marker are reviewed and researched by a committee that meet at least once a year, and may include architects, historians and preservationists. At this meeting applications are reviewed, and decisions are made with regard to the National Schoolhouse Registry and awarding the specially fabricated marker. 

Although there is no application fee, applicants must be members of the CSAA in order to be considered for the registry. Once recommended by the committee and approved by the Board of Directors, the fee for marker fabrication and shipping is $150. Visit the CSAA website for application and guidelines.

Country School Association of America

 

The Country School Association of America encourages applicants to hold a public dedication ceremony for the presentation of the CSAA Recognized Schoolhouse historical marker. Generally this is done after it has been installed so the community can celebrate or commemorate the installation of the marker. 

The schoolhouses inducted recently include:

Pleasant View School, District 81 Lincoln, Nebraska 1906

Weber-Blaess School, District 13 Saline, Michigan 1869 

Wellman School Oskaloosa, Kansas 1887

Concord Schoolhouse New Alexander, Pennsylvania 1848 

Longrie School Stephenson, Michigan 1930

 

Milan Township District #83 Dekalb, Illinois 1900 / 1999

Island Center School Bainbridge Island, Washington 1908

 

Stone Arabia School Cicero, New York 1854 

Reed School Neillsville, Wisconsin 1915

 

West Bay Common School #13 League City, Texas 1898

Wisconsin School is 128 Years Young!

Hazel Dell School Wins ‘Standing Up for Rural Wisconsin’ Award

MADISON—State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster recognized 10 programs for enriching rural schools, libraries, and communities during a ceremony at the state Capitol recently. “Everyone here knows the joys of our rural schools and communities,” Burmaster said. “The sense of unity and the values of hard work, collaboration, and innovation inspire thoughtful, committed citizens to work for the public good. Rural residents know that the future of their towns and villages is inextricably linked to the health and vitality of their public schools and libraries. Their communities are what they make them.” This was the fourth time that Burmaster presented Standing Up for Rural Schools, Libraries, and Communities awards.

Through community effort, Hazel Dell School in Livingston,Wisconsin, one of this year's recipients, is a restored and historically accurate one-room schoolhouse. It serves as a hands-on learning experience for area students as well as a museum and repository for historical documents and artifacts. Owned by the Iowa-Grant School District, Hazel Dell School is the last of the area’s one-room schools. The 128-year-old facility is located on its original site. Mary Sue Divine accepted the award. 

Burmaster concluded the program congratulating the honorees. “Your efforts—the efforts of your schools, libraries, and communities—provide a strong, solid foundation for the work of educating our children and for the enrichment of rural Wisconsin. Thank you for the tremendous contributions you have made to our state’s rural communities,” she said.

Photos: Restored schoolhouse exterior and interior.(from website)

For more information on the Hazel Dell School Restoration Project, visit their website at:

Hazel Dell Schoolhouse

Big Arm Awarded 2009 CSAA Grant

$500 For Schoolhouse Preservation

April 1, 2009--The Country School Association of America (CSAA), headquartered at the Blackwell History of Education Museum of Northern Illinois University, has awarded a $500 preservation grant to the Big Arm Association to restore a historic one-room country school located near Big Arm, Montana. Country

The Big Arm School began operating in 1910. It was one of the first to teach Native American and homesteader's children together in the same classroom. The building was used as a school until 1952 when reorganization with the Polson school district took place. For the next 43 years the school served as a community building. Then it was boarded up and abandoned. 

In 2008 a community group called the Big Arm Association signed a five-year renewable lease with Polson School District #23 to restore and preserve the school. The group was successful in getting the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The BAA has raised more than $2500 locally for the restoration effort. It has also gained support from the Montana Preservation Alliance , the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Denver office), the Lake County Commissioners and the Lake County school superintendent. 

The CSAA funds will be used to upgrade the school's electrical system, enabling volunteers to help with the interior renovations of the building. When restoration is completed, the school will be used as a living history museum and a senior citizen center. Efforts are also underway to reestablish the school as a polling place. 

The CSAA was formed in 2006 at Northern Illinois University in response to a growing interest in one-room country schools. The purpose of the group is to promote the preservation of the programs, buildings and histories of country schools. Currently, CSAA members represent 24 states, Canada and Norway. It began awarding annual preservation grants in 2008 and hopes to continue the practice for many years to come.

“A grant from a national organization like the CSAA provides tangible evidence that a country school restoration project is worth supporting,” said Lucy Townsend, executive director of the CSAA and curator of NIU’s Blackwell History of Education Museum. “The CSAA hopes its preservation grants will to be used to spur other people and organizations to give larger gifts to the project.” 

Each June the CSAA holds a national conference focusing on country school preservation and history. The 2009 conference will be held June 15-17 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit: Country School Association

Contact: Alison Meslin email: jandameslin@centurytel.net

Phone 406-849-6628

Photo: Staff from the National Trust Mountains/Plains Office and Montana Preservation Alliance with Big Arm Association members at the Big Arm School in Montana (Photo: Chere Jiusto)

Schoolhouse Documentary Film in Progress

And Starring....Your Midwestern Schoolhouse?

Fourth Wall Films in Moline, Illinois is pleased to announce a new historical documentary film project titled Country School: One Room - One Nation. Country schools took rough-hewn pioneers and multilingual immigrants and transformed them into a literate and patriotic new nation. Whether personally, or through a parent or grandparent, the country school as an American architectural icon is as imprinted on our perception of the nation’s early history as the log cabin and the general store. 

From the first schools in new states to the demise of their widespread use in the 1950s and 1960s, Country School: One Room - One Nation tells the dramatic true story of Midwestern country schools and their impact yesterday and today. Production will take place in several Midwestern states including Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. 

We need your help to bring Country School: One Room - One Nation to the screen. Your generous contributions will be acknowledged in the finished film's onscreen credits and on the web. We are seeking former students and teachers with stories, period photographs, and financial contributions. 

Visit the link below for more information: 

Country School: One Room - One Nation

Thank you for your support for this important historical documentary film.

Kelly & Tammy Rundle, Producers, P.O. Box 702, Moline IL 61265.  

Photo: Grant Wood, Arbor Day, 1932, Oil on Masonite panel, 24 x 30in. William Koch Collection. Courtesy the Cedar Rapids School District. (art credit details)

Other film work by Kelly & Tammy Rundle:

Lost Nation: The Ioway  

Villisca: Living with a Mystery

CSAA Conference June 15-17, 2009

The Future of the Past

St. Vincent College to Host 9th Annual Conference

LATROBE, PA - The Country School Association of America will hold its 9th Annual Conference at Saint Vincent College Monday to Wednesday, June 15 to 17. 

The conference is designed for those who enjoy preserving old schools in order to preserve memories, create or maintain museums, promote living history programs and allow children of all ages an opportunity to experience schooling as it was in previous generations. 

“It allows senior citizens an opportunity to relive their fondest school house memories while offering educators and writers a forum to share research,” explained Dr. Veronica Ent, associate professor of education, chair of the Education Department, and director of the conference. “This ninth annual conference, with the theme “The Future of the Past: Celebrating Our Country School Traditions Today," will provide members and non-members an opportunity to present and attend to exchange ideas of preserving our schooling heritage in order to build a future of citizens who respect and understand our educational history.” 

Keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. Jonathan Zimmerman, author of forthcoming book;  Small Wonder: The Little Red Schoolhouse in History and Memory. Dr. Zimmerman is the director of the History of Education Program and professor of education and history for the Steinhardt School of 

Education at New York University. In addition to his research and publications in the history of education, Dr. Zimmerman has been recognized as a distinguished lecturer for the Organization of American Historians and has given numerous presentations in the U.S., Ghana, Rwanda, France, the UK, and Canada. Most recently, Dr. Zimmerman has received the New York University Distinguished Teaching Award. 

In his book Small Wonder: The Little Red Schoolhouse in History and Memory, Dr. Zimmerman discusses how the little red schoolhouse has disappeared in the United States, but its importance in national memory remains unshakable. This engaging book examines the history of the one-room school and how successive generations of Americans have remembered -- and just as often misremembered -- this powerful national icon. 

Four different strands have been developed for the program that focus on reconstruction, preservation and restoration; creative and innovative programs; historical research and curricula; and collaboration and funding. Prospective presenters are invited to submit proposals on these topics that have a high degree of audience interaction for 30-minute presentations, 1 ½ hour workshops or one hour roundtable discussions, or posters. Full submission guidelines are provided on the conference website,

www.stvincent.edu/csaa2009 .

 

In addition to concurrent sessions, the conference will also provide registrants with tours of local one-room schools in western Pennsylvania. Both half-day and full-day tours will be provided in which registrants may select the option best for their visit. 

Saint Vincent College is the host and co-sponsor of the 2009 conference at the Fred M. Rogers Conference Center. Accommodations will be available in college residence halls for those who choose to stay on campus. 

For more information, touring details, and to register for the CSAA 2009 conference, contact Dr. Ent at 724 805-2586, veronica.ent@stvincent.edu, online at http://www.stvincent.edu/csaa2009

For Information: Don Orlando, Director, Public Relations Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650-2690 Phone 724 805-2010, FAX 724 805-2019, pr@stvincent.edu

or www.stvincent.edu

 

New Book - Old Schoolhouse Fundraiser

The CSAA is pleased to support the efforts of members and readers of our newsletter, and for February we'd like to introduce you to a new book by author p.j. hartenaus. The information below is from her website www.beldenboy.com . She hopes to present her story at the 9th Annual CSAA Country School Conference at St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA. in June. Click on the CSAA slate (top right) for more details on the conference.

Belden Boy: The Adventures of Peter McDugal

About the Book

You know what it’s like to be around a bully everyday in school. You get knots in your stomach because you never know when you’re going to be the next victim. It’s probably happened to you or one of your friends already. But did you know that school bullies were doing these same things more than one hundred years ago?  Some things never change.

Meet Peter McDugal. Same story, same pranks, but different time.  Peter’s adventures happen in and around a one room rock school house named Belden.  It’s more than a school. It’s a friend to Peter, tucked in the hills of the Mississippi River Valley area. It holds the people of the community together through good times and bad.  Find out what makes Belden so special and Peter’s life so adventurous!

About the Author

A person who wears many hats, p.j. hartenaus has reached one of her many goals...to be an author.  Since the age of eight, she read Laura Ingalls Wilder books with a passion.  Her grandmother would give those books to her as gifts and together they would share the stories over and over again.  These books, of course, helped to formulate in her mind a love of the farms, the country, nature, and a simpler way of living, in general. 

This stayed with her through her adult life.  She married, had two beautiful daughters, and pursued her other goal which was to be a teacher.  Many years and degrees later, p.j. hartenaus teaches fifth grade and the desire for her students to write to their hearts content.  Her greatest pleasure was reading to her students her book-one, which has earned great reviews! 

It was during this time, she discovered one of the most beautiful places on earth...the Galena Territory. Asked to revive the old stone Belden School House in the hills for a Master's class, she had no idea where it would lead.  P.j. hartenaus listened to numerous stories, read countless ledger pages, and acquired artifacts of the area. Committees were formed, presentations made and the restoration of the old school began.  She met wonderful people along the way and created Peter McDugal, a young boy who lived in the Galena Territory in the 1800s.  His adventures have helped to keep Belden School alive...it is truly a treasure in the hills. Proceeds from the sale of Belden Boy help with the Belden School restoration project.

www.beldenboy.com

 

Answer the Call

CSAA Conference 2009 Seeks Presenters

The Future of the Past: Celebrating Our Country School Traditions Today

Country School Association of America

9th Annual Conference

Fred M. Rogers Center

St. Vincent College

Latrobe, PA

June 15, 16, & 17

Happy New Year to all our CSAA supporters! It's already time to begin looking ahead to our 9th Annual Country School Conference, a time to recharge our interest and enthusiasm in preserving our nation's schoolhouses. Dr. Veronica Ent of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania will serve as this year's conference coordinator and she looks forward to receiving your proposal to offer your expertise, research, and experience to our national event.

Because of our varied interests in all aspects of schoolhouse preservation, Dr. Ent has offered four strands that will help focus those interests as we attend conference sessions. These include: 

(1) Reconstruction, Preservation and Restoration; (2) Creative and Innovative Programs; (3) Historical Research and Curricula; and (4) Collaboration and Funding. Types of sessions will include: Presentations, Workshops,Roundtables,and Posters. A tour of area one-room schoolhouses will take place as an optional half-day or full-day tour for interested participants, always a highlight of our conference.

The conference brochure explains all these strands and sessions in detail. Visit the Conference 2009 link on this newsletter site, or go to the CSAA website at www.countryschoolassociation.org for complete coverage of the conference, registration materials, and accommodations.

We cannot stress how important you are to the success of our conference. Last year we hosted over 70 attendees from across the United States and every presentation was received with appreciation. 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Schoolhouse Christmas Ornaments

If you attended the 8th Annual CSAA Conference in Ohio in 2008, you were treated to a presentation by historic preservationist, Liedulf Mydland, of Oslo, Norway, who pointed out how unique Americans are in portraying their schoolhouses...in many forms! He seemed impressed as he illustrated how we've turned our love of schoolhouses into some very unique collectibles, including Christmas ornaments!

The country school is depicted on the Iowa state quarter, note cards, tote bags, calendars, postage stamps, and various forms of artwork. He made a good point. We've also seen coasters, pins, tee-shirts, earrings, coffee mugs, and recently... schoolhouse mousepads! Mydland's point? He was encouraged by the reverence we pay to country schools as icons in our nation's development as he motivates Norwegians to save their schoolhouses as well.

Since we're closing 2008 with fond memories of meeting with and connecting to our schoolhouse enthusiasts everywhere this year, I thought I'd share my latest schoolhouse Christmas ornaments and hope our readers might be willing to submit photos and share their interesting finds. 

So, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We have a busy year ahead with our preservation efforts, living history programs, and conference activities in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Check out our website for all conference information. Time flies! Thanks for another year of support....

Susan Fineman

CSAA Newsletter Editor

Traveling Schoolmarm Visits University Campus

Future Teachers Instructed by 19th Century Schoolmarm!

Susan Webb, known as “America’s Traveling Schoolmarm,” visited campus Oct. 7 and 8 to guide 25 undergraduates from the Northern Illinois University College of Education along a brief historical journey into the late 19th century.

Students in a “History of American Education” class entered the reconstructed Milan Township one-room school, where they settled into desks designed for small children.

Before them stood Schoolmarm Webb, wearing a self-designed black dress and an antique broach resembling the clothing of schoolmarms at the turn of the last century.

“Susan Webb’s presentation was both instructive and entertaining,” said Lucy Townsend, curator of the Blackwell History of Education Museum. “I am so fortunate that she was able to fit NIU into her busy schedule.”

Using artifacts and graphics, Webb led students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, listen to poetry, solve arithmetic problems on the blackboard, analyze photographs of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and read aloud from the famous McGuffey readers.

She also told humorous stories of life in rural Midwestern communities and showed the class a 1908 photograph of her father and uncle standing in front of their one-room school in Missouri.

Webb also entertained students and faculty in a reception hosted by the interdisciplinary Museum Studies Certificate of Graduate Study Program Committee and the Blackwell History of Education Museum. She recounted her experiences as a country school re-enactor in Virginia, Connecticut and Alabama, including the methods she used to research the lives and memorabilia of those who attended and/or taught in country schools.

“I’m called ‘America’s traveling schoolmarm’ because I travel to different parts of the country to make historical presentations,” Webb said. “Most historical re-enactors perform in only one school museum.”

On this trip, Webb traveled from her home in Birmingham, Ala., to her alma mater, Clarke College, in Dubuque, Iowa, where she gave a presentation. From there, she went on to Ames, Iowa, where she participated in the ninth annual Iowa country school preservation conference. A charter member of the Country School Association of America, she regularly makes presentations at the association’s annual conferences.

Webb also makes presentations throughout Alabama under the auspices of the Alabama Humanities Foundation, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Thanks to Dr. Lucy Townsend for submitting this article.

 

NIU Offers Museum Class in 2009

Of Interest to Schoolhouse Museums 

Dr. Lucy Townsend, Curator of the Blackwell History of Education Museum of Northern Illinois University will offer a graduate class called MUSEUM EDUCATION in the spring semester of 2009. Schoolhouse museum docents and curators in the area may well be interested.

If you want to develop more expertise in your work as a museum educator and live within driving distance of Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, Illinois, consider taking this spring semester course called MUSEUM EDUCATION. 

Dr.Townsend is also the executive director of the Country School Association of America and has shared her expertise at all eight CSAA Annual Conferences.

When will the course meet?

Jan 16- May 14, Wednesdays, 6:30-9:00 on the NIU campus.

What activities will be included in this course?

Participants will visit area museums to analyze exhibits and programs, dialogue with museum educators in the field, plan a museum education program/exhibition for an imaginary or actual museum, discuss recent publications on museum education.

For more information about museum studies at NIU, visit http://www.clas.niu.edu/mstudies/ or phone Lucy at 815-753-1236.

Photo: Mary Devine, a student docent in the reconstructed Milan Township District #83 school at NIU campus.