Colorado's oldest-known one-room schoolhouse gets new home
In Evergreen, Colorado, the old one-room school that has sat on the grounds of Wilmont Elementary for decades has now moved on down the road to Marshdale.
The one-room schoolhouse was on the move in Jefferson County.
CBS
The school, built in 1877, is believed to be the oldest existing one-room log schoolhouse in the state. For a place with such a history, it has been kicked around a bit. It's now at its fifth known location after Jeffco Public Schools decided to give it up, but it won't be far from students.
"It's right across the street from a school," said Evergreen Park and Rec District Board President Betsy Hays. "Move it from a school to a school. So kids can still enjoy, and it turned out to be a win-win." It was moved on Wednesday to Marshdale Park, where the Rec District and Evergreen Mountain Area Historical Society will use the school in its new location for educational purposes.
Just getting it ready to be moved was tricky because the building has rotting timbers. "You know the little ones give us more of a fit said Shane Davis, field operations manager for Mammoth Moving and Rigging Company. "They present their own challenges."
"We had to get hold of it and pick it up off of the slab without damaging it," said Mammoth vice president Bill Davis.
The one-room schoolhouse on the move in Jefferson County.
CBS
"Oh, I'm happy, I'm so happy," said local historian John Steinle. Stienle and others had worked on the project for several years. The school was originally built 12 years after the end of the Civil War by French-Canadian families that settled the Evergreen area. But by the 1890s, it was getting full," said Steinle.
"They had as many as 22 kids, and the teacher crammed into this little 15 x 20 building. So it was pretty crowded in there."
By 1920, with the construction of a new school along Cub Creek, the school fell out of use. The school remained on a ranch until the ranch was sold, and it ended up being moved along with the ranch owner. But in the 1960s, she sold that land, and the school was transferred to the Evergreen Women's Club. They first had the school moved to the grounds of Evergreen High, then Wilmont Elementary.
There were some efforts to fix things up a bit, but some of it was not so hot, including a dropped ceiling that will be removed as the building is restored.
The move came after the Jefferson County School District fell behind on maintaining it.
"I believe they did not have the expertise to maintain it properly, and they didn't have the budget to really take care of it as it should have been," said Steinle.
Supporters are seeking donations and grants to do the work now that the school has a new home on a fresh concrete pad in Marshdale Park.
School children watch the old schoolhouse being moved.
CBS
It's set to go, and aside from one fencepost that got in the way, the move went off without a hitch.
" Yeah, it's a wonderful day, we love success," said Bill Davis. "Failure's not an option."
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