Red Brick School
This article appeared in the Washington Evening Journal in 1940-1941 as part of a series on rural schools.
Red Brick school is located a mile and a half south of the city of Washington. It is on the fork of the Wayland and Coppock road.
The first building stood on the opposite side of the road from the present school house. It was a very small school, but also of brick. The building being in a state of disrepair, was torn down. The new brick school was erected in the year 1873. Michael Wilson was director of the school at that time and it was through his efforts the new school was built. The brick from the old school house was used on the north end of the present school and one can readily see the difference between the two types of brick. All the other brick for the school was made by John Morgan who operated a brick kiln.
When the school was first constructed much interest was taken in a Literary school which was held at night.
Captain J. Kellogg taught in the old school and was very interested in the Literary society.
The first teacher in the new school was Miss Disborough. She wrote 50,000 on the blackboard before it was treated and left her mark for all time.
On Arbor Day, April 20, 1920, when Mable Larson Weeks was the teacher, an afternoon program was enjoyed at which time a tree called Uncle Sam was planted, in memory of our boys who served in the war.
In September 1920 there were forty-six pupils enrolled in the Red Brick School. It was necessary to put a new floor around the furnace and put the furnace on fire brick. This year we have had a new ceiling put in the school. Window shades were also added, four primary chairs, four recitation chairs and a large steel supply cabinet, four new seats, a new chimney, an Aladdin lamp, and three fire extinguishers.
For the school year of 1939-40 twenty pupils were enrolled at Red Brick school: Dolores Arnold, Arliss Green, Mary Bordwell, Patricia Flynn, Beatrice Collett, John Green, Donald Wilson, Virginia Arnold, Victor Thompson, Mary Flynn, Burr Bordwell, Clarence Collett, Evonne Flynn, Shirley Arnold, Reed Green, Duane Thompson, Mildred Collett, Leone Carriker, Elizabeth Carriker, Charlotte Arnold.
It is with sorrow we lost our good friend and school mate, Arliss Green who passed away March 1, 1940.
The present teacher is Nellie Wiley.