Iowa One Room Schools: Gritter Creek School

ORIGINS

I grew up in a small Ohio town and I rode the school bus from 1st through 12th grades. My bus ride always included a country road on which every school day we saw a one-room brick school house. (SW corner of Stine Rd and Enon-Xenia Pike). As the years went by I watched this wonderful, familiar friend fall apart. After I married the school really began to deteriorate. Every time we visited the area I would want to take a photo of the school but never did. Finally, when we went specifically for the task, the school was gone. It was a huge loss for me and, since that time, whenever we pass a one-room school it is a joy to stop to take a picture or two. Thus, our collection here and the blog with schools in other states. Jill :oD

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Gritter Creek School - English Township #8

North English, Gritter Creek School was used from 1874 until 1956 and is now used as a museum. Getting to it was odd, since the road on the map and in the directions from the web is now closed. However, there was a sign pointing the way on the west side of North English, on county highway F67. To find the school you must drive down gravel roads. Turn west on 336th Street at the west edge of town, and then go 2.1 miles to the intersection of J Avenue. Turn north on J Ave and follow it as it bends east for a total of .9 mile and there is the school on the south side of the road. J Ave used to continue another half-mile to join F67, but it is closed off now and dead-ends in a farm.

The front porch has been added since the original construction. This is one of few brick one-room schools in Iowa.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...: I'd like to take my 4-H group to see this Gritter Creek School in North English, IA. Do you know who to contact - can we go inside or is it locked? Thanks for any info!

Gloria Yoder, Greene-Go-Getters 4-H club; June 10, 2010 at 2:56 PM
Glenn E. Chatfield said...: Hi Gloria,

I just found this page for you on the net:
http://www.preservationiowa.org/initiatives/schoolItem.php?id_num=116&region=3
This page has contact information for the school.

Jill and I were there on a Saturday; no one was around but the door was unlocked so we walked in and looked around.; June 10, 2010 at 3:34 PM
Anonymous said...: Thanks! Ten years ago our 4-H group toured historical sites in Iowa County, IA and we have a photo of our group sitting in the Gritter School desks - so the school must have been unlocked. We are retracing our steps now with this new group of 4-Her's. I thought I should check, tho.

Gloria; June 11, 2010 at 5:33 AM
Barbara Florang Casper said...: I went to this school, untill I started 4th grade, then I was sent to North English Elementary. Wow, the memories!; October 30, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Anonymous said...: My Grandma spent many years preserving Gritter School. She attended there as a little girl. Great to see the pictures!! Thanks!; June 6, 2011 at 3:15 PM
Glenn E. Chatfield said...: We are happy to provide the memories. It's a shame that there aren't more schools kept in this shape. So much of our heritage is disappearing.; June 6, 2011 at 3:29 PM
Anonymous said...: I am a member of the Iowa County Historical Society. To arrange a tour contact the Pioneer Museum in Marengo, Iowa. 319-642-7018.
We would love to have you visit.; July 24, 2012 at 8:25 AM
Anonymous said...: I believe my mom taught at this school for 2 to 3 years around 1937. Her name was Elinore (Scottie) O'brien. Would be interested to get confirmation from any of her students who attended. She had very fond memories of her time there. She passed in 2013 after a very wonderful life.; April 13, 2014 at 11:14 AM