Typical of one room schoolhouse of the 1800's is this one from Beloit, Kansas. Built in 1879, it housed 8 classes at a time from the first through the eighth grades. Schools rarely had more than two rooms in those days, due not only to the limited resources of the Pioneers, but also because of the ease in heating.
Mr. Knott bought the school, outhouse, and play ground at an auction, had them dismantled, and trucked here in 1952. To facilitate reconstruction, numerous drawings and photographs were made of the school, both interior and exterior enabling the plasterer to duplicate exactly the cracked and worn walls. The original building has been changed from white to red, and a bell tower added.
Used briefly as a kindergarten for the Knott's grandchildren during the 1950's, the building stands as a shining example of Americana and a monument to the sound education of our ancestors.
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