Living in a Schoolhouse

Probably about 40 years ago, it wouldn't have cost much to purchase an old schoolhouse. Some people remodel them so that they're nearly unrecognizable as a schoolhouse. Others don't.  I think many of them had windows mostly along one side, with the north (cold) side being windowless.

Mr. Cranberry disagrees with me on this. He thinks the windows were usually on the north or east side so that there wouldn't be light glare on students' texts or papers. On the other hand, I would have thought they would be on the south side of the building to help heat up the room in the wintertime.

So if anyone out there remembers the old country schoolhouse, do you want to weigh in with your guess or opinion about where the windows were located? Feel free, especially if you agree with me. ;-)

I took this photo from a distance last week. I love the reddish orange steel roof on the old red brick schoolhouse.

Of course, if I were to buy an old schoolhouse to live in, I wouldn't want to remodel it much, except maybe to put in a loft because the ceilings are so high you'd have room to do that. And just think of all the blackboards I would have! Oh, that's right. I do have lots of blackboards. Mr. Cranberry does asbestos removal before demolition, and he's brought home many black slate boards over the years. I can't bear to see them thrown out. That's why we're taking another bunch of them to Cashton for the Amish schools next spring.

Oh look! There's a blackboard in my kitchen!

Have you ever wanted to live in an old schoolhouse? I do realize it's possible that I'm the only person in blogland who has always dreamed about doing that. That's okay. I have a library table, chalkboards, and lots of vintage books. I guess that's good enough. Besides, I'm getting too lazy to move.

Below are a couple pics of the old country school I attended in grades 1-2. It looked better back then. :-)  It was torn down just last week. Glad I took these photos last year.

 Woodside School, Barron County, WI

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Every Room in the House Friday Noon and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Vintage Paper of Pins

A Paper of Pins
and the spools of thread

from my great aunt Verna

The scissors belonged to my mom

Boy:
I'll give to you a paper of pins,
For that's the way true love begins,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept your paper of pins,
If that's the way true love begins,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you a soft easy chair,
To sit and comb your pretty hair,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept your soft easy chair,
To sit and comb my pretty hair,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you a pure silver spoon,
To feed your babe this afternoon,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept your pure silver spoon,
To feed my babe this afternoon,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you a fine dress of green,
To make you look like a real queen,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept your fine dress of green,
To make me look like a real queen,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you a diamond so bright,
To light your way in dark of night,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept your diamond so bright,
To light my way in dark of night,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you the key to my chest,
So you'll have gold at your request,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
I won't accept the key of your chest,
So I'll have gold at my request,
And I won't marry you, you, you,
And I won't marry you.

Boy:
I'll give to you the key to my heart,
That we may love and never part,
If you will marry me, me, me,
If you will marry me.

Girl:
Yes, I'll accept the key to your heart,
That we may love and never part,
And I will marry you, you, you,
And I will marry you.

Source


(Smart girl, wasn't she!)

When I was in grade school, 1st or 2nd grade, I think, we used to sing that song. And I think it was when we listened to the Wisconsin Educational Radio Network (now WPR) program, 'Let's Sing!'  I only remembered the first two verses and had to find the others online.

Does anyone else remember this song?

Did anyone else listen to 'Let's Sing!' on the radio?? I think it was only a Wisconsin thing, so...

And yes, my gradeschool is definitely vintage...and no longer used as a school.  I posted about it earlier.

A little worse for wear,

but full of fond memories.

And just in case you're interested (that's rather presumptuous, isn't it!) here's the Woodside School post I wrote back in November.

***

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 This post may be linked to some of the following: Mop it Up Monday  and  Cure for the Common Monday and Mealtime Monday and Clever Chicks Blog Hop and Mosaic Monday  and Barn Charm and  The Marketplace  and On the Menu Monday and  Mix it up Monday and Make it Pretty Monday and   What's in the Gunny Sack and  Making the World Cuter Mondays and Make the Scene Monday and  Something I Whipped Up Monday and  Motivate Me Monday and  Making Monday Marvelous and Get Your Craft On and   You're Gonna Love it Tuesday and Creative Showcase and  Tweak it Tuesday and Memories by the Mile and  Coastal Charm Tuesday and  Take a Look Tuesday and  Tasty Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday and Love Bakes Good Cakes and  Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays  and Overflowing With Creativity and Mom on TimeOut  and Adorned from Above and 3boysandadog and Trueaimeducation and Cast Party Wednesday and  We Did it Wednesday  and It's a Party at Creative Princess and Artsy Corner Thursday  and The Self-sufficient Home Acre and  I'm Lovin' it Thursday and  Mandatory Mooch   and Foodie Friends Friday and  Serenity Saturday and Get Schooled Saturday  and Inspiration Friday(ThursNite) and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Photo Friday and  A Favorite Thing Saturday and Sunny Simple Sunday and Market Yourself Monday and  Saturday Nite Special

Woodside Country School, Barron County

 Woodside School

The day I took the photos of those cute goats, Click HERE in case you missed it. I had actually gone to that site to take photos of this old country schoolhouse. The goats were just a bonus. 

Back when the earth was young, I attended first and second grade in that schoolhouse - but not at that location. After the country schools consolidated c.1956, a nearby farmer bought the building and hauled it to his farm to use as a granary and later for storage. As you can see, it's a little worse for wear.

Some of you may be surprised to learn that I'm not the only person still living who attended country schools like this.

At the front of the building was the cloak room. You can see the door there in the middle. We entered by that door, hung our coats on hooks along the wall, got a drink of water from a galvanized metal bucket and dipper, and managed to get all our contagious childhood diseases out of the way at an early age.

Interior of a Country School

Barron County Historical Society Museum

The interior of our school looked similar to this one, except I remember ours being more crowded and not nearly as neat. Maybe that's because ours was full of kids.

Like this one

I don't remember if my mother cut my bangs or if
my brother cut them with his jackknife.

What I remember most about country school:

1. Getting to sit at a double desk, next to one of the big kids who helped me with my spelling words.

2. The teacher making popcorn in the basement and serving it in colorful cottage cheese cartons on days that it was too rainy or too cold to go out. 

3. The cute boy who got to raise the flag in the morning. I think he ended up in jail.

4. The nice kids who gave me their chocolate goiter (iodine) tablets. Loved those things!

5. Neighborhood parties and softball games held at the school

6. My lunchbox lunch: a tomato, a boiled egg, and tiny Morton S&P shakers to use.

7. Getting hit by a line drive to center field, by one of the dads at the end-of-year school picnic.

8. Falling out of a swing and breaking my arm because a mean kid jerked the chain on my swing. (Don't worry, I got a ton of mileage out of that one.)

9. Walking the mile to and from school - uphill both ways, of course, 
with my mean brothers running on ahead. ;-)

10. Workbooks. I liked them!

 The Bell Tower of Woodside School

Unfortunately, the big old school bell is no longer in the bell tower.  I hope someone's enjoying it. I kinda wished it were me.

Woodside, sign above the door

Every time I drive to Rice Lake, I pass another of Barron County's old country schools, one that's been converted to living quarters. But when I was a kid, it was a school. Africa School. I have no idea why it was called Africa School, but even today, I enjoy telling people that I drive past Africa on my way to Rice Lake.

***

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