History of Union Grove One Room SchooL House

Union Grove One-Room School History

As it stands today: refurbished and open to the public.

Union Grove School:  1901 to 1926

• The first school in the area was built on the Smouse farm to provide schooling for the tenants living on the farm (3 houses) and the Smouse family.   

• About  1826 the Wilson Academy was built as a better school on Mason Road.

•  The Union Grove School was built in 1901 to replace the Wilson Academy because it was closer to the students attending the school. Location of schools was often determined by where the students lived. Students might have to walk 1.5 miles to reach the school.

• Union Grove School held classes for grades one through eight.  It was the center of social activities for the community.  Fall fairs were held and the women of the community displayed their canned goods. In the evenings,  programs with recitations and readings were enjoyed.  Most of the students were probably from farm or mill families. Some of the fathers may have traveled to Cumberland to work on the railroad or other businesses.

•  In 1926, the school was closed and the students were sent to Gephart School on Frederick Street.

The Wilson Academy

• The Wilson Academy was built of brick on an acre of land deeded to the Board of Education by Peter and Elizabeth Smouse on July 24, 1874.  
•  John Jacob Smouse, Peter's brother, constructed the school for the area. 
• Charles Smouse purchased the school when it was replaced by Union Grove and converted it into a home. 
• You can see the original Wilson Academy when you visit the Union Grove School House.

The Union Grove Campground

• Union Grove Camp Meeting Association, incorporated April 23, 1873 was purchased from Peter Smouse for $500.   The 8.5 acres of land was to be used for church camp meetings. 

•  In 1920, the present wooden structure, used for church services, was built with a raised platform and wooden benches. 

• The Allegany County Historical Society rents the campground for field trips for groups of over 20 students.

History of Education in Allegany County

• Prior to 1860, there had been no free public education available to the young inhabitants of the country.  Tuition-charging, private institutions were all that were available up to this time.  Therefore children were often taught at home by parents or tutors, or received no formal education at all.

•  In 1865, the Maryland legislature established a state system of education, which replaced a failing county system.  
•  Following adoption of the state system, schools were established in every small community in the county.   
• During the early years of the system's existence, attendance was low due to poor road conditions, long and harsh winters, and most especially, due to the indifference of the parents.  
•  Yet, as the 19th century came to a close, the school saw a rise in attendance and by 1900 it was at an all-time high.

 One Room School Curriculum

• The curriculum of the one-room school house was quite similar to that of today's schools.  The children received daily lessons in reading, writing, grammar, geography, arithmetic, US History and spelling. 

• Teachers often took their lessons from the small library and teaching publications.   
• Typically, teachers were young women, who were studying at the Normal School in Frostburg (Frostburg State University).  They would usually hold the position for a year or two.   
• The average student attended school until the 6th grade.   
• Following school, the males would learn a trade or work alongside their fathers on the farm. The females usually resulted in settling into a life at home and becoming a homemaker.

 Call 301-777-8678 to schedule a group tour today!