Forty Years at Fairview Schoolhouse

I took a detour on my way to work Monday morning down the Snapps Ferry Road. I wanted to catch the sun's morning announcements at Fairview School, which has been promptly delivered there since 1913 when it opened. Fairview School was one of twenty plus schools to be built from 1910 to 1940 in the county before gasoline and cars took over in the 1950’s. That’s right, people used to walk to their destinations, and you know what, they loved it!

Land for the school was purchased from the Gray family under one stipulation that the Gray family would be able to buy back the land if the school were to ever close- well, it did in 1953. All of the Gray children attended Fairview in the 30's and 40's and made many memories at the old schoolhouse. Of course, when the school closed and the land was made available to the family, demolishing a part of their childhood was out of the question- so it stands 106 years later.

According to Jean Drain, who attended Fairview, there were two rooms- one for grades 1-4 and the other was grades 5-8. She said that Fairview was always a schoolhouse and never served as a church, but that the school did serve as a community center after hours hosting many different types of events (bingo games, ice cream suppers, and cake walks to name a few). There was one cistern well that everyone had to drink from and you also had to share the ladle. If you wanted to become a teacher at Fairview, you had to be petitioned by the community and receive enough votes before you were even considered as a candidate for the job. Lastly, students had to walk into town or hitchhike to Boyd’s Drug Store on Depot Street to buy their books.

With so many solid memories, and so much history, the Gray Family has let the school stand as a relic of days past. The architecture and endurance of the building, which has been abandoned for over fifty years and still stands with pride and beauty, are a testament to the skilled carpenters of our grandfathers. Next time you stroll down the Snapps Ferry, stop by Fairview Graveyard and take in the view of the old school- she is still teaching us to stand up straight and have pride.