"Historic Places at the Crossroads"

7th Annual Preservation Week 2005 Photo-Essay Competition

First Place: Rebekah Harston, James E. Bazzell Middle School

Title: Big Spring School, One old building that equals new opportunity.

Big Springs School is one of many historic buildings in Allen County. As I drive by this one-room schoolhouse on my way home each day, I can just see the children running around in the yard laughing and playing. I also envision the teacher coming to the doorway and ringing the bell for everyone to come inside. All the children happily run into the schoolhouse carrying their lunch pails eager to learn.

When I look at Big Spring School and fantasize about the past, I also think that this school building seems to be missing something. Maybe it is the laughter and happiness it once had. It seems that it just sits there dull and alone, as if it really has no purpose now. During 1900-1953, Big Spring School was a one-room school in the rural area near Halifax and Warren County. The school was one of the new frame schoolhouses, which replaced the original log school during the period when Allen County completely organized new schools. The number of Allen County schools more than doubled from only 28 in 1855, to 64 in 1891. In those years between 1865 and 1902, at least 35 rural public schools, known as “common schools,” were organized; Big Spring School was one of them.

The control of Kentucky schools still remained firmly in local hands, as did the responsibility for funding the construction of new schools. To help many people deeded over their land to county school districts in order to provide for new schools. In 1889, E.C. and Elizabeth Motley deeded a one-acre plot of their land, near the original Big Spring School, as the site for a new schoolhouse. The deed said that the land would return to the family if the school district moved the school from the property. To maintain the property, the new Big Spring School was built on this land. It is not known for sure, but people think that the Motleys also donated poplar timber from their land for the construction of the school.

The Motley family connection with Big Spring School continued through four generations. They provided the land for the new Big Spring Schoolhouse, and then deeded 200 acres of farmland over to their oldest daughter, Sarah Tom, and her husband Willie Gray Oliver. Sara Tom and Willie Gray, in 1892, built a farmhouse on the land. They raised five children in this home. At least one, and probably three, of their children attended Big Spring School. In 1920, statistical analysis has shown that only 19.5% of Allen County's children between ages seven and twenty attended school. This however, was not true for the Motley's. Most of their children attended regularly.

Big Springs School finally closed its doors in 1956 after serving the community for several decades. I can't help but think that if the walls in the Big Spring School could talk they would say how they wished kids could be there again. When considering the significance of this school to the community I realize there are still many uses for this historic building today. For one, it could be some type of museum where classes from schools go and spend a school day there to see what it would have been like when one-room schoolhouses were used. Students would absolutely love the reenactment of days gone by and the educational experiences of reliving the past would be priceless. Of course, the building could also be open to the public to spend some time exploring the school and looking at historic relics of yesteryear.

Currently, Big Spring School is privately owned by Carlene and Virginia Oliver. One day Mrs. Oliver invited my sister and me to tour the school and show us everything one day soon. I felt such excitement and sense of adventure. I cannot wait until that day. Meanwhile, I guess I well just have to keep on wondering about that one-room schoolhouse that sits at the end of my road and hope that someone will bring a new opportunity to this old historic building.

This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC.