Educational opportunities for the children of early settlers in West Virginia were limited.

 

The educational opportunities for the children of early settlers in West Virginia were limited. Most early schools were private and paid for by families who wanted their children to learn to "read, write, cipher and read the Bible". These schools were called "subscription" or "pay" schools. They were often taught in the homes of pioneer farmers who were willing to pay for the services of a teacher. The teacher would stay with one family for a few weeks then move on to the next.

There were few school houses before the Civil War, and classes were generally held in some old building that was abandoned, which would be chinked and daubed with mud. The old open fire place was used, and the windows were frequently made of greased paper. The benches were made of split logs with pins bored in for legs. The students, parents and patrons maintained the schools, and the tuition was paid by patrons on a per capita basis.

A typical school term lasted three months, and the teacher’s salary was one dollar per month for each pupil. There were no lead pencils but some of the pupils had slates; quill pens were used. In at least one school, several of the parents accompanied their children to school and learned to read with them.

The first schools were not silent schools as are now common. In 1848 at the request of Isaac Moore, a meeting was held to consider reforms in the schools. This meeting resulted in the organization of the first board of education in the county, which was organized to supervise the schools of Arny District. From this point on, there was a spirited controversy in the effort to have silent schools. The silent schools became the rule.

Prior to the Civil War, there were few schoolhouses in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The early schools were often held in abandoned buildings that were "chinked and daubed with mud." Heat came from an open fireplace, and the windows were often made of greased paper. Students sat on benches made of split logs. In one instance, a school was held in a round pole structure. The floor was made of slabs of rock, and the roof was held in place by weight poles. Instead of windows, a log was chopped from one side, and greased paper was pasted over the opening.

The earliest teachers in these rural schools typically taught the "higher and lower grades," instructing students in the "three R's" - reading, writing, and arithmetic - as well as in Latin, algebra, and other subjects. There is mention of one family from east of the mountains in Virginia who taught in the private families in the Levels District. They taught for three or four months. Some of the early schools were taught by ministers. These early teachers would often move from family to family, staying with one family for a few weeks and then moving on to the next.

As the population grew, the need for more permanent school buildings increased. In 1844, a permanent schoolhouse was erected in the Greenbank Community. By the mid-1800s, there were also "subscription" or "pay" schools, which were funded by families who wanted their children to be educated. The curriculum in these schools was similar to that of the earlier schools, but there was a greater emphasis on silence in the classroom. This shift was due in part to the influence of Isaac Moore, who in 1848 called a meeting to consider reforms in the schools. The meeting led to the organization of the first board of education in the county, which was charged with supervising the schools of Arny District. The board's efforts to promote silent schools were met with "spirited controversy," but eventually the silent schools became the rule.

One example of this evolution in school structures is provided by the experience of Isaac Moore. Born around 1800, Moore was eager to become a good scholar. He mastered arithmetic with the help of a neighbor and an old field school teacher. During the winter, he taught in a house near the present residence of Mrs. George Dinker. The house, built of unhewn logs, was daubed, roofed with boards kept in place by sticks and poles. Clay filled the room taken up by the chimney of press poles, and one window extended the entire length of one side, covered with greased paper.

Moore would become one of the best teachers of his day. In 1852 or 1853, he and his family moved to Hillsboro and lived in the Feyatt House, later moving to an old log house south of town. He taught school in the basement of the old Methodist Church. He was a strict disciplinarian but kind to his scholars.

The sources document the transition from makeshift schools held in homes and rudimentary structures to dedicated school houses. They also describe the evolution from itinerant teachers to more established and respected educators. The move toward “silent schools” demonstrates a shift toward a more structured learning environment.