"Lonely House School"

The Lonely House School: Location, Construction, and Closure

The Lonely House School, also known as the Douthard's Creek School or the Rimel School, was located on Douthard's Creek in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Octave Alderman donated the land for the first schoolhouse.

The sources do not provide details on when the original Lonely House School was constructed. However, they do indicate that a new school building was constructed at Rimel around 1905 or 1909 by contractors J.A. Reed and J.G. Sharp. It is possible that this new building replaced an older structure, and that this new building is the one referred to as the "Lonely House School."

A list of Pocahontas County schools from a 1920s school year shows that there were 127 schools operating during that period. It also notes that the Lonely House School closed sometime between 1915 and 1920.

While the sources do not explain why the Lonely House School closed, some potential contributing factors include:

• Consolidation of Schools: Many rural schools in the United States closed during the early 20th century as school districts consolidated to create larger, more centralized schools.
• Declining Rural Population: As people moved from rural areas to cities and towns, the number of children attending rural schools declined, leading to school closures.
• Improved Transportation: As roads and transportation improved, it became easier for children in rural areas to attend schools located further away from their homes.

Further research into the history of education in Pocahontas County would be needed to determine the specific reasons for the closure of the Lonely House School.

Octave Alderman donated the land for the first schoolhouse.

The sources do not provide details on when the original Lonely House School was constructed. However, they do indicate that a new school building was constructed at Rimel around 1905 or 1909 by contractors J.A. Reed and J.G. Sharp. It is possible that this new building replaced an older structure, and that this new building is the one referred to as the "Lonely House School."

A list of Pocahontas County schools from a 1920s school year shows that there were 127 schools operating during that period. It also notes that the Lonely House School closed sometime between 1915 and 1920.

While the sources do not explain why the Lonely House School closed, some potential contributing factors include:

• Consolidation of Schools: Many rural schools in the United States closed during the early 20th century as school districts consolidated to create larger, more centralized schools.
• Declining Rural Population: As people moved from rural areas to cities and towns, the number of children attending rural schools declined, leading to school closures.
• Improved Transportation: As roads and transportation improved, it became easier for children in rural areas to attend schools located further away from their homes.

Further research into the history of education in Pocahontas County would be needed to determine the specific reasons for the closure of the Lonely House School.

The sources indicate that the "Lonely House School" was constructed around 1905 or 1909.

• Source states that J. A. Reed and J. G. Sharp were the contractors for the construction of the school building at Rimel around 1905 or 1909.
• Source also notes that Octave Alderman donated the land on which the first schoolhouse on Douthard's Creek was erected.
• This school was known as the "Lonely House School."
• Source does not explicitly state that the school building constructed around 1905 or 1909 is the same building that became known as the "Lonely House School," but it seems likely given the close proximity of the dates and the fact that both schools were located on Douthard's Creek.

Therefore, the sources strongly suggest that the "Lonely House School" was constructed around 1905 or 1909 on land donated by Octave Alderman on Douthard's Creek.