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The Historic Village... The "District 16" Schoolhouse

As students walk into a classroom of 100 years ago, what do they see?  Have a seat in desks, complete with ink wells, just as students did in their new school building in 1898.  Discover how the lives of today’s students and teachers differ from those who once spent their days here.  And, maybe you’ll learn of some aspects of one-room schools that still continue today.

The school that we call District 16 was originally called District #3, or Maple Grove School, in Chesterfield Township of Fulton County, Ohio.  The Maple Grove School was actually moved to Sauder Village from an area near the Ohio-Michigan border, north of the town of Wauseon.  It was used from 1898 to 1916. The first four buildings built in the Maple Grove District were log buildings much like the Log Schoolhouse in the Historic Village.  Our “District 16” schoolhouse was the seventh building built in that district.  After being used for 18 years, a new centralized school was built in 1916, and the time of one-room schoolhouses in Fulton County came to an end. 

We encourage school groups to visit both schoolhouses during their day exploring the Historic Village.  As Ohio was growing, how much, and in what ways, did public education change?

Interesting Facts About our Schools
 

• In the 1830s, children attended school for short periods of time, sometimes for as little as 3 months during the winter!
• In schools like our Log Schoolhouse, greased or oiled paper was often used over window openings due to the great expense of glass panes.
• One-room schools housed all the children in a district, often ranging from 6 to 20 years of age!
• Our District 16 School was built in 1898 at a cost of $687.00.
• Before being located by Erie Sauder, and restored at the Historic Village, the District 16 building was being used as a granary.
• You will find 2 entry doors on the front of the District 16 School.  It was specifically designed that way, with one entry for the girls to use, and one for the boys.

Source:  Bates, Walter P. Chesterfield Township Schools, Fulton County, Ohio, 1838-1982. Wauseon: Walter P. Bates, 1984.

Source: Reighard, Frank H.  A Standard History of Fulton County, Ohio,  Volume I.       Chicago and New York:  Lewis Publishing Company, 1920.