Celebrating 150 Years at the Gritter Creek School
– Jacob Glandon, Black Oak Films, Webster, Iowa
Nestled in the rolling hills west of North English lies a scene that takes visitors back in time to an era long forgotten. The era in question is that of the one-room schoolhouse. Iowa County’s last remaining one-room brick schoolhouse, and one of only a few in the entire state, is located there, on the south side of the Gritter Creek. Its name, fittingly, is Gritter Creek School. It has existed in this location for the last 150 years, and over the years many students have passed through its doors.
On July 14 at 2 pm, the Iowa County Historical Society will be celebrating 150 years at Gritter Creek School with festivities at the grounds including live music, an old-fashioned ice cream social, a schoolhouse reenactment, and tours.
The story of the founding of Gritter School is a simple one: a school was needed and so local families worked together to build one. In 1874, Iowa had been largely settled and along with that came necessities like schools and churches. The people in the vicinity of Gritter School – today English Township – needed a school to send their children to so the work was done to build one.
The bricks were sourced locally from the Chauncey Wetherell brick yard as was the lumber from a nearby sawmill. In 1908, lightning rods were placed on the building and in 1913, a cement porch was placed on the east front end.
The first teachers didn’t have the formal education of modern educators, and were paid meager salaries of $5 or $6 a month.
Gritter, like many other schools, is located in a grove of trees. Groves of trees were favorable for schools because they protected them from prairie fires.
Students, who walked to school everyday, shared the same dipper to drink water from a pail that they filled at the nearby farmhouse because the school didn’t have a well. When sickness was in the school, it spread easily because of this.
A pot belly stove, which was used to provide heat, is still located in the center of the school. There are school desks, book shelves, and a teacher’s desk too, all things that would’ve been inside the school when it was in operation.
These features wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the efforts of the Iowa County Historical Society. They have been preserving Gritter Creek School since 1963 and have made many repairs and renovations over the years. Before 1963, there was a period of time in which the future of Gritter School was uncertain. The school was closed in 1951 when Iowa County reorganized its school districts, and until 1961 it was not being maintained by anyone. In 1961, it was sold to the English Township Trustees to preserve it as a memorial, and then the Iowa County Historical Society began its work in 1963. In 1965, former students put on a new roof and in the early 80s, members of the North English community raised funds for tuck pointing to restore the bricks on the outside of the school.
It was assembled by Otis Holeton and his daughter, Rhonda.
Not only is Gritter preserved with exceptional detail and care, but many of its artifacts have been too. These are not located at the school but are in Marengo at the Iowa County Historical Society in the Gritter Room. There isn’t a better opportunity to learn all about Gritter Creek School than at its 150th celebration on July 14th, starting at 2 p.m. Bring a lawn chair and step back in time at Iowa County’s last remaining one room brick schoolhouse.
For more information or to request special accommodations, contact the Iowa County Historical Society at (319) 642-7018.
