The Schoolhouse

The Schoolhouse. . , Company town, company school, Originally constructed as a two room school, it became a one room school when enrollment declined. Built in 1925 in Helen, West Virginia, it served black children that lived in the coal camp. A similar schoolhouse was only for white students. The school buildings were owned by the coal company and the schools were run by the board of education. Only residents of the coal camp were allowed to attend the schools., The average enrollment would normally be about 30 students. There was one teacher per room. The students were seated by grade, first grade was the front row, from there they followed in order. The coal industry's decline led to the closing of the last one room school in West Virginia in 1965., (Captions):, The schoolhouse in its original location Helen, West Virginia., Shown holding the "Board of Education", Buford Hartsog was a devoted teacher for 33 years. A dedicated volunteer at the Youth Museum and the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, Hartsog delights in telling people about his life and the history of Raleigh County and West Virginia.