The
quality of facilities at one-room
schools varied with local economic
conditions, but generally, the number
of children at each grade level would
vary with local populations. Most
buildings were of simple frame construction,
some with the school bell on a cupola.
In Midwestern states, sod construction
was also used, as well as stone in
areas such as portions of the southwest
where trees were scarce. In some locations,
the schoolhouse was painted red, but
most seem to have been white. Mission
Ridge School was one of the early
schools built in Mason County, West
Virginia. It has been moved to the
West Virginia State Farm Museum complex
near Point Pleasant. Examination of
the materials in this building indicates
that boards and timbers were hand-sawed
and also hand-planed. Square nails
were used throughout the building.
Except for the roof and a few boards
in the floor, all of the material
in this building is original. The
blackboard really is a black board,
made of wide boards painted black.
It was not until much later that slate
was used for chalkboards, although
students often had individual slates
for writing practice.
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