Former 1-room schoolhouse near Pine Grove to hold inaugural educational program

Sep. 15—PINE GROVE — After 70 years without classes, the newly reopened Stanhope Schoolhouse will hold its first educational program this weekend.

Volunteers have spent the past eight years restoring the one-room schoolhouse, constructing an approximation of its old days as an educational institution.

Although no longer a functioning school for children in first through eighth grades, the schoolhouse in Pine Grove Twp. will host several educational programs highlighting its original 76-year history.

On Aug. 13, the Stanhope Schoolhouse held its grand opening, which was attended by more than 50 people, including a few former students.

The inaugural educational program will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, focusing on the recollections and reminiscences of several alumni.

"We're going to have (former) students come and do a program on what it was like to go to school here, what life was like, how going to school here impacted their life," said Linda Mills, chairwoman of the restoration project.

Restoration efforts

The project, organized by the Pinegrove Historical Society, has been in the works since 2014. When volunteers began the restoration, the schoolhouse was a dusty, ramshackle structure run down by years of disuse.

Now, with more than 2,500 total volunteer hours contributed, the schoolhouse appears a pristine, clean and authentic rendition of what it looked like in the earlier 20th century.

The original wood floor has been restored and cleaned, and a chalkboard and a pot-belly stove sit on opposite sides of the room. A variety of old school books lie atop the wrought-iron desks and on several shelves in the girls coat room, which is now designated as the library.

"We're trying to keep as much original as we can," Mills said. "Some things needed to be replaced because of age."

Mills stresses that the schoolhouse is not meant to be a replica of the historic structure, but simply provides a glimpse into the school's past.

Because of all the school records, books, furniture and other items that have gone missing over the years, the new schoolhouse contains many items that volunteers have donated to the restoration effort.

"We're trying to keep it as authentic as possible, but it's not historic preservation," Mills said.

Though it appears pristine, the schoolhouse requires a few touch-ups and improvements before it is deemed complete. For example, Mills said, volunteers will need to restore the school bell to its original place on the bell-tower. As of now, the bell rests in the middle of the classroom, surrounded by a few of the wrought-iron desks.

The original Stanhope Schoolhouse was built in 1876 near its current location, but was destroyed by a fire in 1923.

A year later, Charles Werner & Co. — which is now Werner Lumber in Pine Grove — rebuilt the school on its current site along Camp Road.

The schoolhouse was in operation until 1952, when students moved to the Pine Grove Area School District as part of a statewide school consolidation effort.

"They started consolidating and closing one-room schools and moving everybody into a more consolidated school system," Mills said.

Future of schoolhouse

Saturday's event at the schoolhouse will feature several school alumni who still live in the region.

"We're excited to have Stanhope alumni here," Mills said. "The school's been closed for 70 years, so these people are in their late 70s and 80s at this point, and we want to take advantage of their knowledge and their recollections as much as possible, as soon as possible, because their health and their memories may give way to age."

As the schoolhouse lacks central heating, Mills plans to run the programs every May to September. During that time, there will be designated days when the schoolhouse will open to the public; on others, the schoolhouse will be open by appointment only.

Next year, the schoolhouse will work with an intern to develop a series of educational programs targeted toward school-age children, especially home-schooled students.

"I'm excited that we've gotten this far," Mills said.

The Pinegrove Historical Society is welcoming new volunteers to assist in the restoration efforts, which include the bell installation, a chalkboard installation, landscaping, exterior restoration and fundraising.

For more information on the Stanhope Schoolhouse, visit pghs-stanhopeschool.org or contact info@pghs-stanhopeschool.org.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085