One room schoolhouse

I've always romanticized one-room school houses. Perhaps it stems back to my days of reading "Little House in the Prairie" where everyone learned together and, yet also, from each other.

Until last week, though, I don't remember ever stepping inside a one-room schoolhouse. (This is where mom corrects me by reminding me of the one we saw in Lancaster, PA or Columbus, OH or on some other family vacation.)

I have heard Larry Kidder speak eloquently about the one-room schoolhouse at Howell Living History Farm. http://www.howellfarm.org/ I have even driven past it on many visits to the farm. Earlier this month, though, I went inside it.

Larry Kidder is a newly retired history teacher -- the kind that if everyone had growing up we would all love history. Back in the 1970s, he and his wife, Joyce, began volunteering at Howell Living History Farm. They handle all requests from mucking stables, to manning the register, to giving history lessons with grace. They are both very passionate about teaching.

Sadly the schoolhouse has undergone many transformations over the years. For about 50 years is was a family home. Hence, the interior has been modified and modernized over the years.

Still, I found it fascinating listening to Larry Kidder talk about the school, its teachers, students, parents and townspeople who enjoyed the place. Even though I have heard him give a similar presentation in the barn, hearing it again in the schoolhouse seemed to make the ghosts of the past come alive and smile.

The schoolhouse is open very rarely for tours. If you happen to be available next time, I would highly recommend a visit.