Our studio & gallery was a school house from 1881-1911
The1726 Old Rothsville Road, Lititz, PA 17543.
"Lower Rothsville School House", was one of 4 schoolhouses in Rothsville, PA at the time. When the schoolhouse next door cir. 1858, became too small. Our schoolhouse was built. (Other schoolhouses - Home at 137 Church Road (1881-1911), and another burned down on Newport Road near the School bus lot.)
It is aluminum siding with wooden clap board under it. It had big shutters and two front doors. One door was removed to create a fireplace chimney. The boys entered one door and the girls entered the other coat room door. The boys sat on one side and the girls on the other. There was a big pot belly stove to keep them warm in Winter. The blackboard was on the South side of the school.
On the East side of the house was a side porch/Summer kitchen later, and hand water pump. There used to be two outhouses near the rear gate in the back yard. There is not much left to remind us that it was an old school, except some closets still have metal wire hooks, and there are tall Victorian windows. We still heat some with a coal stove.
In 1911 it closed because the Rothsville High School was in operation. After it was a school, a second floor was added. It had a cellar under the kitchen, and was later made a full cellar. At one time the house was split into two apartments and had two kitchens and they added a back door. (One was where the art gallery is now.)
Publications: Rothsville History Book and Lancaster County One-Room Schoolhouses by Mary Virgina Shelly.
Teachers: Frank Kopp, Cora Royer, Levi Martin, Joseph Mohn, Abe Stauter, Walter Stauffer 1907, Mary Sellers 1908, Cary Hess 1909, Susie Brubaker. Hours from 7am to 3 pm. (Rothsville book)
Reading, Writing and Arithmetic were the studies then...now we teach ART!
Teacher Joesph Mohn
Other photos I have, 1907 Walter Stauffer. 1908 Mary Sellers. |
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