User:Frantz schulhaus/sandbox

In 1855, there were 7 one-room school houses serving the children of Eldred Township in Monroe County Pennsylvania. They were the Barlieb, Christman, Correll, Frantz, Gower, Kleintop and Smith Gap. The school houses were each a single room where about 25 students from grades 1 to 8 would all learn from one teacher, who earned about $23 a month. Each school house was named for the family on whose property it stood.

A pot belly stove in the center of the room was used for heat and sometimes to warm the children's lunch (brought from home). There was no electric for lights, so if a storm or heavy clouds rolled in, lessons would be canceled for lack of light. In the early days, the lessons were taught in German.

By 1953, all of these schools were closed. Today, the old Kleintop school and the Smith Gap school still stand, each renovated as housing. The Correll still stands, but only because the gutted remains are held erect by several surrounding trees. The Barlieb and Christman are gone, and the Gower suddenly collapsed in 2014. This left only the Frantz School house. Fortunately, through the years Lamar Borger and his sister Lola Sherman protected the building from the elements (covered in tarps) and possible vandalism (windows & doors secured by boards nailed against them), keeping it from being lost to future generations.