ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE TRADITION

ONE ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE
October, 1940. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration Photos

Mary Post Wolcott, Photographer

Tis the time for all young folks to parade back to school. There are different types of school choices today -- private, public or home schooling. 


Notice that none of these choices are the one room school house which used to dot our country's landscape during the latter part of the 19th century and into the earlier part of the 20th century. Primarily rural in nature -- they were located in the country and small towns. 

I have always appreciated the tradition of the one room school house. I thought it would be interesting to find some old photos of students attending one of these types of schools. Luckily the Library of Congress provided a couple from their archives.


As I am sure you know, the one room school usually held quite a few grades all taught in one room with one teacher. The usual school room scenario seemed to be first through eighth grade.

MOUNTAIN CHILDREN PLAYING
 MARBLES AFTER SCHOOL

October, 1940. Breathitt County, Kentucky.

Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration Photos

Mary Post Wolcott, Photographer

These schools had a traditional social culture where everyone knew each other and you didn't compete by wearing fashionable clothes. Children learned from the students as well as the teacher, and most students assisted those who needed help.

Also, you usually walked quite a distance to school, sometimes brought your homemade lunch in a tin lunch bucket  and got time off to help with work chores at home -- these activities would keep children healthy and strong.


It was a tight school community onto itself. It was self regulated in a sense.

Today young folks are attending large consolidated schools where they do not know all the teachers or other students. The idea of "school community" has become a loosely knit phrase.


My question is -- are we going in the right direction with our school culture today?

A WORKING GREENHOUSE

STUDENT WORKER'S GLOVES HANGING AROUND 

What does a college do that has a large beautiful old glass and steel greenhouse and lots of young energetic students in the Agriculture and Natural Resource Department? Well in 1871 the college decided to grow vegetables and flowers and make them available for a reasonable cost to the area residents. It was successful and grew to become the farm sales program which exists to this day. The money raised helps fund the department's program. 

FRESH GREENS FOR YOUR GARDEN

Students work in the greenhouse as well as in other parts of the farm program which has grown to include hoop house gardening,  hog farming, bee keeping, growing Shitake mushrooms, outdoor gardening as well as a few other projects.  

SALE IS POPULAR WITH TOWN RESIDENTS

Every spring the students hold a large plant sale in the old greenhouse. The plants are considered first harvest as they are seeded and grown on the grounds of the college. Community support is high for the event and the plants are quickly sold. It's a win-win situation -- the residents get freshly grown plants, mostly organic, and the students raise money to help with the continuation of the program.

PART OF GREENHOUSE WORK AREA

For more info on Berea College's Plant Sale click here