Tour an Authentic 1880s One-Room Schoolhouse

In the past, Henry County had a total of 104 one-room schoolhouses. These schools were named after the communities they served, such as Bethlehem, Cleveland, Elm Branch, Freedom, George, Hortense, Mound, Norris, Piper, Richland, Star, White Oak, and Willow Branch. Unfortunately, most of these schools were located in rural areas that no longer exist.

In 1835, three log cabin schools were built in Henry County. They ran on a subscription basis, with a monthly tuition fee paid or bartered by the parents.

In 1839, Missouri legislators passed a public school law that authorized the creation of school districts supported by taxation. Money was collected by assessing each family based on the value of their property and ranged from 10 cents to 40 cents per $100 value. School districts could also finance building projects through the sale of bonds.

To preserve this history, the Highland School, a one-room schoolhouse located near Calhoun, Missouri, was moved to the Homestead grounds of the Henry County Historical Society in Clinton, Missouri.

The new location is near the site of the first-ever school in Clinton, which was in a log cabin across from the home of Jerubial Dorman. Dorman was one of the first settlers in Henry County, who built his home in 1852 on the corner of Franklin and Waters Streets. He was a merchant, judge, state legislator, captain of the Home Guard during the American Civil War, and a member of Clinton's first school board.

A photo of a log school in the Henry County Museum Genealogy Library might be of Dorman's school, or it could be Curtis School, one of the oldest rural schools in Henry County. Built during the Civil War era, it was located north of Clinton on old Highway 13.

The Highland Schoolhouse was donated to the museum by Sarah Shoemaker and moved 10 miles to the Homestead, across from the museum. It is part of the museum tour and is also used for school field trips and immersion experiences.

The date of Highland School's construction is unknown, but its architecture is similar to White School, built in 1886, and Oak Dale, built circa 1887. It is a typical vernacular style of construction: a rectangular building with white painted wood siding, a center peak roof, and a central door. Tall, narrow windows on two sides provide lighting and a raised dais for the teacher's desk.

During the 1880s and 1890s, male teachers were paid an average monthly salary of $35, while female teachers received less.

You can experience the Highland School as part of the Henry County Museum tour. Dorman House, also a Henry County Historical Society property, can be seen by appointment.