Younger generations like to poke fun at older ones as they recall a time when a bustling urban neighborhood "was all wheat fields when I was a kid." Most have undoubtedly heard a relative say they used to walk three miles to school uphill both ways. It makes for a good chuckle, but really it's not far from the truth. One Caldwell couple is going out of their way to restore one such window into Kansas history.
Mike and Valerie Brunhoeber started out wanting an extra building for storage when they bought an old school house building two miles west of Caldwell. As they started to explore their purchase, their intentions for the building started to change.
Now the Brunhoebers are working up to totally restoring the school house to as close to its original form as possible. They are seeking donations to help with the renovations but once everything is complete they just want to provide today's students with a glimpse of the school's past.
"We just want to be non-profit and be mainly for kids to know what it would have been like back then," Valerie said. "There's nothing like that, I never knew of anything like that when I was a kid." When the school was new in 1879, there was a chimney that ran through the center of the building. When the Brunhoebers found it, the chimney went along the back. There was also a bell tower on the roof. The Brunhoebers intend to put both of those features back into their starting places.
According to the Sumner County Genological and Historical Society, the first school house in Kansas was built in 1871. Information on the the Caldwell school is hard to come by but the Brunhoebers have determined it was Belleview School House, one of the six one-room school houses in the Caldwell township.
"We know the first year that it was open, they had 25 students with a male teacher, we don't have a name," Mike went on. "We've been finding out a lot." Mike also pointed out the Chisholm Trail can be seen out of the east windows of the house. After they move it to their family farm, the trail will still be visible but this time out of the west windows.
When it was first constructed, the school house had church pews for seating, but the Brunhoebers found some old school desks the students once used. There is a slate black board still in one piece. Mike said he has even found receipts from the old Caldwell hardware store from the early 50s. In spite of all these fascinating finds, the couple has yet to find a historical photograph of the Belleview School House.
According to belleviewschoolhouse.org — the website the couple started to spread the word about the school — Belleview was established as District No. 68 in 1879. The school was valued at $300 dollars and the teacher's salary was a whopping $80 per year. The couple estimates the building was used as a school through 1958 and then used as a polling place for the Caldwell Township until 1998. The website contains much more information the Brunhoebers have found along with pictures of the early stages of their renovations.
Upon purchasing the 26 by 36 foot building from the Caldwell township, the new owners were informed they had to move the building. As of last week the building was all set to be moved, they hope to have it hauled to the new location near 120th and Springdale road. The family is excited to get it moved and the restoration process underway
"I don't know very many of those that are actually like that where you don't have to pay to get," Mike observed. "Let alone any of them around being restored." Mike has drawn pictures of what he believes the school looked like way back when. Copies of the drawings can be purchased with all proceeds going to the Belleview School House Restoration Project. Those drawing can be seen on the project's webpage.
The Brunhoebers said that Sumner county had the most school districts in the state when Belleview first showed up. In the late 1800's Sumner County had around 200 school districts. There thinking behind so many districts was children wouldn't have to walk more than three miles to school each day. Most of those old buildings are falling by the wayside, this Sumner County family is making sure Belleview does not follow suit. They are hoping to get the school house on the National Registry of Historic Places. Once the finishing touches are complete the Belleview school will be one of Sumner County's treasures.
"It will preserve part of Sumner County's history and once it's lost it's gone forever," said Sherry Kline, Vice President of the Sumner County Genological and Historical Society. "I think this is a fantastic thing that the family is doing and I think it will be a great educational tool for school kids today to see what school was like then."
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Younger generations like to poke fun at older ones as they recall a time when a bustling urban neighborhood "was all wheat fields when I was a kid." Most have undoubtedly heard a relative say they used to walk three miles to school uphill both ways. It makes for a good chuckle, but really it's not far from the truth. One Caldwell couple is going out of their way to restore one such window into Kansas history.
Mike and Valerie Brunhoeber started out wanting an extra building for storage when they bought an old school house building two miles west of Caldwell. As they started to explore their purchase, their intentions for the building started to change.
Now the Brunhoebers are working up to totally restoring the school house to as close to its original form as possible. They are seeking donations to help with the renovations but once everything is complete they just want to provide today's students with a glimpse of the school's past.
"We just want to be non-profit and be mainly for kids to know what it would have been like back then," Valerie said. "There's nothing like that, I never knew of anything like that when I was a kid." When the school was new in 1879, there was a chimney that ran through the center of the building. When the Brunhoebers found it, the chimney went along the back. There was also a bell tower on the roof. The Brunhoebers intend to put both of those features back into their starting places.
According to the Sumner County Genological and Historical Society, the first school house in Kansas was built in 1871. Information on the the Caldwell school is hard to come by but the Brunhoebers have determined it was Belleview School House, one of the six one-room school houses in the Caldwell township.
"We know the first year that it was open, they had 25 students with a male teacher, we don't have a name," Mike went on. "We've been finding out a lot." Mike also pointed out the Chisholm Trail can be seen out of the east windows of the house. After they move it to their family farm, the trail will still be visible but this time out of the west windows.
When it was first constructed, the school house had church pews for seating, but the Brunhoebers found some old school desks the students once used. There is a slate black board still in one piece. Mike said he has even found receipts from the old Caldwell hardware store from the early 50s. In spite of all these fascinating finds, the couple has yet to find a historical photograph of the Belleview School House.
According to belleviewschoolhouse.org — the website the couple started to spread the word about the school — Belleview was established as District No. 68 in 1879. The school was valued at $300 dollars and the teacher's salary was a whopping $80 per year. The couple estimates the building was used as a school through 1958 and then used as a polling place for the Caldwell Township until 1998. The website contains much more information the Brunhoebers have found along with pictures of the early stages of their renovations.
Upon purchasing the 26 by 36 foot building from the Caldwell township, the new owners were informed they had to move the building. As of last week the building was all set to be moved, they hope to have it hauled to the new location near 120th and Springdale road. The family is excited to get it moved and the restoration process underway
"I don't know very many of those that are actually like that where you don't have to pay to get," Mike observed. "Let alone any of them around being restored." Mike has drawn pictures of what he believes the school looked like way back when. Copies of the drawings can be purchased with all proceeds going to the Belleview School House Restoration Project. Those drawing can be seen on the project's webpage.
The Brunhoebers said that Sumner county had the most school districts in the state when Belleview first showed up. In the late 1800's Sumner County had around 200 school districts. There thinking behind so many districts was children wouldn't have to walk more than three miles to school each day. Most of those old buildings are falling by the wayside, this Sumner County family is making sure Belleview does not follow suit. They are hoping to get the school house on the National Registry of Historic Places. Once the finishing touches are complete the Belleview school will be one of Sumner County's treasures.
"It will preserve part of Sumner County's history and once it's lost it's gone forever," said Sherry Kline, Vice President of the Sumner County Genological and Historical Society. "I think this is a fantastic thing that the family is doing and I think it will be a great educational tool for school kids today to see what school was like then."
