Log School

Log School. . This Log School is a reconstruction of a 1840s era schoolhouse, based upon written accounts of schools from the time period. Desks, arranged along the walls near the window openings, took advantage of the natural light. The windows themselves would have been made of greased or oiled paper. Much less expensive than glass pane windows, the paper, sometimes covered in bear grease, allowed light in, kept bugs out and was relatively weather proof. The fireplace includes a cob-style chimney built as a fire safety feature. In case of fire, the top part of the chimney could be knocked down quickly; this hopefully saved the rest of the building. The portrait of George Washington is a copy of a famous painting done by Gilbert Stuart. Beginning in the 1830s, lithographic prints of Stuart's portraits of Washington become popular for school use and are still used in our classrooms today.

Education in Ohio began with the earliest settlement. The Land Ordinance of 1785 opened up settlement in what was to become the State of Ohio. It split the land into townships made up of 36 six-mile square sections. One section of each of these townships was designated to support public schools. There is an account that the earliest school in what would become Fulton County Ohio (where current day Sauder Village is located) began in 1835, just one year after the arrival of the first permanent European settlers.