THE HISTORY OF STICKLEYVILLE SCHOOL
Not until 1869 did the State of Virginia provide a general system of public schools in each county of the Commonwealth. Since this was during the years of Reconstruction (after the Civil War of 1861-1865), the first head of Virginia schools, William Henry Ruffner, found it difficult to finance public schools. Often it was necessary to open them in area churches and log cabins. At first they functioned only four and a half months annually. Teachers were scarce and textbooks unavailable in many cases.
Despite those early problems, Chataigne’s VIRGINIA GAZETTER, published in Richmond, presented the following report in 1884-1885, on the Lee County schools: Cumberland College – Rose; Graham, Joseph E. – Hua; Jefferson Institute – Dryden.
There were 85 white schools and 5 colored schools in Lee County. The superintendent of schools was James H. Graham of the Rocky Station District. The county on the whole possessed a remarkable record for pioneering in education, with the old Jonesville Institute, Lee Baptist Institute at Pennington Gap, and the Seminary near the home of the Slemp family in Turkey Cove – all predecessors of the later public schools. Some families of the Rocky Station District enrolled their sons and daughters in a subscription school at Tradesville in the present area of Woodway. During the 1880’s classes were conducted below Stickleyville in the old log church known as Banner’s Chapel. The father of Bonnie Ball (author of STICKLEYVILLE – ITS EARLY HISTORY, PEOPLE, AND SCHOOLS from whose book this information is provided), attended school there under the instruction of W.E. (Bud) Fletcher.
It is assumed that the Stickleyville School was one of the eighty-five public schools listed in the 1884-85 statistics. Its building materials were quite similar to those used in the Blue Springs Church that was erected in the 1880’s. This old ungraded school stood near what became the home plate of a fine baseball field that came into existence in 1910. The property adjoined a little stream on the east and south, known as Dry Creek, and also the land of Smyth and Evaline Stout. It is likely that the grounds were sold, or donated, to the district board by the Stouts. A large rectangular building, it was constructed entirely of native timber. It faced the west and the old Fincastle Road. The school, which was ungraded, had seats which would accommodate at least five or six children per seat, with the boys and girls segregated. Between them were two wood-burning stoves that were surrounded by groups of benches, used during the winter months for recitation and for warming cold hands and feet.
In 1909-1910 a new, two-story school was erected which included a high school department. The old school was carefully dismantled, and the materials were used to construct a boarding house near the school for students who lived too far away to commute on foot or horseback. In 1937 the high school department was discontinued, and its students were transferred to Pennington High School. From that time on it was known as Stickleyville Elementary School. In 1954 a new building was erected at a cost of $141,000.00. This building, which is still in use today, consists of a single story, brick structure with an office, library, seven classrooms, and a gym which also served as a cafeteria until 2006. A mobile unit was added near the east side of the building and houses two classrooms - sixth and seventh grades. A new addition was constructed in 2006 on the south end of the building at a cost of $374,021.00 to provide a separate dining room for students, faculty, and staff. The use of this space began in November of 2006. As of the 2008-2009 school term the library and computer lab are now housed in this space with the dining room being relocated in the former library. The school is complemented with a large playground and playing field and an outdoor pavilion built by members of the Stickleyville Community-In-Action, Inc.
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