Whittier in Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Rocky Springs School House
Photographed by Mike McKeown, August 23, 2026
1. Rocky Springs School House Marker
Inscription.
The building in front of you is Rocky Springs School House. It was built
c. 1839 & is listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties. It is one of the oldest remaining one-room schools in Maryland & still stands at its original location. Constructed of local field-stone & native timber, it functioned as Frederick County Public School No. 26 from 1839 to 1930, & for almost a century it served as the seat of learning for generations of local farm children. Built for both school & sanctuary purposes, from 1839 until 1882, it served simultaneously as a public school & house of worship for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ (U.B.), the first Protestant denomination founded in the United States, which was founded September 25, 1800, about one mile east of here, at the home of Frederick Kemp (1725-1804) & his son, U.B. Reverend Peter Kemp (1749-1811).
Rocky Springs School House students (left to right) Lena Schultz, Lillian Kemp, Ruth Blank and Dorothy Free, about 1922.
A group of Rocky Springs School House student
s circa 1925.
IMPETUS FOR THIS "PIONEER CHURCH-SCHOOL":
n 1836, a supplement to the "1825 Act
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to provide for the Public Instruction of Youth in Primary Schools throughout this State" was passed by the Maryland Legislature that gave the school district trustees in Frederick County the authority to permit school-houses to be used for public worship. By this time the predecessor of Rocky Springs School House, which was built c. 1790 on an adjacent lot conveyed by Henry Staley (1747-1806) & George Shoup (1755-1812) to school trustees Peter Kemp & Joseph Staley (1739-1808), was over 45 years old. Therefore, by deed dated April 15, 1839, U.B. Reverend John Staley (1777-1858) & his wife Margaret (1781-1854), conveyed this one-acre parcel of land to school trustees Cornelius Staley (1808-1883)(their son), Ezra Doub (1808-1881) & Nicholas Whitmore (1795- 1870)"...so that they shall erect and build, or cause to be erected and built thereon a school house for the use of the Schoolers in School District no. 26 to be called "Rocky Springs School House". In the deed, the Staleys stipulated that the school be "...laid out by the Board of Inspection, by the Primary School of Frederick County... according to the laws and regulations made by
Photographed by Mike McKeown, August 23, 2026
2. Rocky Springs School House Marker
the Legislature of the State of Maryland for the government of primary schools in Frederick County...
Rocky Springs School House students (right to left) Markwood Mackenzie, Linwood Mackenzie and two unidentified classmates about 1926-1928.
The Rocky Springs School House Class of 1900. Back row, left to right, Gertie Smith, Lucy Kemp Staley, Amy Shook Brown, Mattie Staley Harris, Oda Shafer Orrison, Alvin Kemp, Daniel Mackenzie, Harry Orrison, William Fox & Clarence Shook. Second row, Jennie Staley Schultz, Frank Knill, Keifer Knill, Harry Fogle, Ruth Grove Stockman, John Gonso, Nannie Gonso Klipp, Clara Gonso, William Kline & Austin Knill. Third row, John Shafer, Royal Kemp, Charles "Pat" Kline, Albert Wickham, John Kline, Estelle Kemp Martz, Nora Shook Signafose, Leslie Grove, Lester Shafer, Lester Knill, Merhle Moore, Roger Knill, Harry Gonso, Frank Mackenzie & Harry Wickham. Fourth row, Lula Shook Reitz, Keiffer Kline, Mary Kemp Dutrow, Vada Shafer Reeder, Edna Shafer, Edith Shook Moser, William Gonso, Charles Gonso, Casper Moore & Irvin Moore. Standing in back is John W. Grove, teacher.
nce Rocky Springs School House was built,
Photographed by Mike McKeown, August 23, 2026
3. Rocky Springs School House
the school district trustees, who by then were Cornelius Staley, David Kemp (1798-1867) & Moses Staley (1792-1841), petitioned the Maryland State Legislature for permission to sell the c.1790 school house & use the proceeds for the benefit of the school district. Moreover, the U.B. congregation worshiping at the private home of Frederick & Peter Kemp where the U.B. Church was founded in 1800 (which after Reverend Peter Kemp's death in 1811, had passed to his daughter, Esther, & her husband, Valentine Doub), moved its worship services from that historic home to Rocky Springs School House. According to U.B. history, some of the names of the families worshiping at the Kemp house during this period were: Albaugh, Baker, Brane, Brewbaker, Doub, Hoover, Kemp, Kintz, Main, Martz, Mayne, Perry, Preston, Schultz, Shankle, Shook, Staley, Whitmore and Yonson. The congregation continued to worship & flourish in Rocky Springs School House from the time it was constructed until the U.B. built Rocky Springs Chapel next door about 1882, on a one-acre parcel of land conveyed to the U.B. by Cornelius Staley & his wife, Rhuanna (1807-1889).
The group photo from the 1962 Rocky Springs School House Class Reunion. This exhibit was generously funded by: DELAPLAINE FOUNDATION INC. Frederick, Maryland
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is April 15, 1839.
Location. 39° 26.969′ N, 77° 27.252′ W. Marker is in Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. It is in Whittier. It is on Rocky Springs Rd, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7815 Rocky Springs Rd Frederick MD 21702, Frederick MD 21702, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 21, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 23, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on August 23, 2026, by Mike McKeown of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
