Friday, August 19, 2011

The Penrose School

This is a very poor photo but I think it is worth adding to our history. This is the Penrose School. The photo was in an old photo album of Uncle Brooks that I was able to borrow from our cousin, David Wasden. There wasn't much of interest in the album, except for this photo. There is one of a young Uncle Brooks that I will post later. Hopefully you can at least get an idea of this little country school that Mother and her siblings attended.

5 comments:

Judy said...

The swing is especially interesting. Elna put another picture of the playground in her book - do you all have it? If not, I'll hunt it up when I get home (?)

Judy said...

Actually, Judy did not "said" in the first comment. It was Elizabeth on Judy's computer.

Louise Blood said...

This is a great picture. It is the three room school that was built in 1918, constructed with cinder blocks. There were 65 students attending it in the year 1918-1919. Burchell and his father tore the building down sometime in the late 20's, salvaging the blocks. The first school in Penrose was a one room log building with a dirt roof, built in 1905. Handmade tables and benches served for desks. Some smooth pine boards were fastened together and painted black for a blackboard. This was also used for the church. A new schoolhouse complete with factory desks was ready in the fall of 1907
This was a one room frame building with and entry way, and a bell cupola, bell, and flagpole. At some point Burchell acquired the bell and has it mounted on his garage. The wide picture we have of Penrose was probably taken in 1918, shows the church on the right, grandparents' house in the center and the school on the left, (with someone in a horse and buggy on the far left.) It's nioe to have this picture of the school up close.

Ann said...

To Elizabeth on Judy's computer, I have looked in Elna's book and can't find the photo you referred to in your post.
Louise, thank you for the history background. It is good to have that info. Good work!

Judy said...

Elizabeth says she doesn't have the book here(at my house) so she can't tell you. Then she just asked me if I had Elna's book. Hmmm.