Schoolhouse Rock

The building where I attended 2nd through 7th grades is for sale. It is in Timken, Kansas, a community of about 80 people. The school has been closed for 12 years and the building has had several uses - warehouse, etc. Now it is up for auction and could go for as little as $100.

Stupid as it may sound, there is a small part of me that wishes I could afford to spend money on buying a schoolhouse. Not just any schoolhouse. This one. I was very happy in Timken and remember my school days there with affection. When I started to school there in 1953 there were two classrooms. Later a third was added. Our 6th, 7th, and 8th grades were all in one room, meaning a person basically took all three grades in one year. In fact, my report cards were not very impressive because I would sit through my 6th grade classes and then, instead of doing my assignments, I would listen in on the 7th and 8th grade lessons. I sincerely doubt I was the only one of us 4 6th graders who did that. When we moved on, 7th and 8th grade were a breeze for me.

Timken is a town whose population was primarily Bohemian immigrants, and pretty much first and second generation. They had a unique way of talking and were the best cooks I have ever known. The community was almost exclusively Roman Catholic; I think there was one other family besides us who went to Bison to the Methodist Church. There was not, however, any stigma attached to being non-Catholic or, if there was, my friends and I were not aware of it. If any time in my childhood was idyllic, it was at Timken. I guess that is why I can't quite shake the idea of saving the schoolhouse from demolition.

The schoolhouse was built in 1937 as a WPA project and is constructed of native limestone. It is about 10,000 square feet, has a kitchen and a gymnasium in addition to the classrooms and lunchroom. I don't think the giant stride is still there but other than that it looks about like it did when we were in school there.

Maybe I should save the ebay pictures and try to create a miniature. Ha!