A Look Inside the Quaint One-Room Schoolhouses of Yesteryear

They are a part of American history that vanished with the march of progress.

They have so much charm even for those who never attended school in a one-room building. The old-fashioned schoolhouses often had a stove right in the middle or up front to keep the kids warm on cold days. Sometimes there was a chalkboard on the wall, but often there was not. The small rural communities that used these schools were soon too overcrowded for such small quarters in the 20th century, especially once compulsory education lawsensured that all children attended school the whole school year.

Someone’s dog followed them to school that day! First schoolhouse in Sultan, Washington, 1895. Via/ Flickr
Busy at their schoolwork in Colchester, Connecticut, in 1940. Via/ Library of Congress
Segregated schoolhouse in Maryland, 1940. Via/ Library of Congress
“Little red schoolhouse,” Crossville, TN, 1935. Via/NYPL Digital Collections
1908 schoolhouse in Eastpoint, Florida. Via/ Flickr
Segregated one room schoolhouse in Georgia, 1941. Via/ Library of Congress
The last sod schoolhouse in Decatur County, Kansas, 1907. Via/ Library of Congress
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