ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSES OF 

LAWRENCE COUNTY, KENTUCKY

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History of Lawrence County, Kentucky Schools & Education

Biennial Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Kentucky 1907

LAWRENCE COUNTY.
Louisa, Ky., September 30, 1907.
Hon. Jos. H. Fugua, Sr., Supt. Public Instruction, Frankfort, Ky.

My Dear Sir:—

     I herewith submit my epistolary report, dealing briefly with the schools of my county. We have ninety-six schools in Lawrence Co., ninety-five white and one colored, most of which are progressing. We have built a few new houses and have repaired many, so the same shall still go on until these old log houses are replaced by more, up-to-date ones. We have a fine corps of teachers, many having taught from ten to fifteen years, while we have several young teachers who seem to be very enthusiastic in their work.

     There is, it seems, an increasing interest in school work throughout the county. Still the question peddler is occasionally calling upon a few, but the purchaser is not certain that it will be of much advantage to him to make such a deal. The present trustee system is getting to be more and more defective, 'both in regard to employing the teacher and letting contracts to build, repair, etc., as the trustee's friend or relative seems to be the lucky one regardless of qualification; consequently, I recommend a change in the trustee system from the present one to some other that may be sufficient to employ teachers, transact business, regardless of politics; friendship, kindred or remuneration.
The county board system, in my judgment, would be one of the very safest and best that could be adopted, and, until this be accomplished, we can not hope to see the common schools progressing as rapidly as friends of education want to see them.

     I am in favor of longer school terms and better salaries for the teachers. I consider the extra month added to school term recently a very wise legislative act; such has been of vast benefit to the pupil children of the Commonwealth.
I am in favor of a compulsory school law that has no defects, and that will compel children between the ages of eight and fifteen years to attend school twelve consecutive weeks.

     In conclusion, I wish to congratulate you on your good work for the cause of education, and to express my best wishes for your success in the future.

Jas. H. Thompson,
Supt. of Lawrence County



Busseyville School
Students ca. 1928
Busseyville students

Photo & information shared by Leonard Wellman.
Front row (left to right):  Elman C. Pigg, Raymond Wellman, Bernard Holt, Billy George Shannon, Mitchell Hughes, Merill Hughes, Richard Muncy, Henry Wellman.
Second row:  Dora Fuggitt, Willie Short, Madge Hughes, Charles Shannon, Mary Emma Holt, Regina Wellman, Margie Hughes, Willard Wellman, Joe Holt.
Third row:  Leona Wellman, Emma Jean Muncy, Roy Wellman, Ward Patton (Teacher), Mary Wellman, Mildred Pigg, Monie Wellman, Mable Fuggitt, Sadie or Effie Smith, Sadie or Effie Smith.

Blackburn School
Photos & information contributed by Chuck Wallace:  "My wife, Joyce Burton Wallace's, mother was Dorothy Hayes Burton and she taught at the Blackburn school for a short period (1926-28)."

                                                                                  


Twin Branch



The photo of this beautiful old schoolhouse was sent to me by a very kind gentleman from Louisa, Kentucky to share with all of you.
(Thanks D. Chaffin!!)

One of our readers has emailed to ask for any information concerning a school named Twin Branch that he attended in the late 1950s.  He mentions a Miss Prince who taught all 8 grades in the same room.  Other surnames mentioned are Spillman, Wilkes, Marcum, Triplett, Crabtree, Blankenship, and Presley.  Do we have any other readers who were teachers or students at that school?  If so, we would love to hear from you.

Evergreen School
For more information on this school, please visit their website:  Evergreen School

If you know of others that you would like to see listed, please email me with any additional information or photos of these wonderful old one room schoolhouses.  With approximately 100 in operation at one time, these are only a very small representation.




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