Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-04-14
ANOTHER LANDMARK GONE.

] The Lutheran sexton house has beer
torn down. This house was erected
when Woodstock was quite young
AS was the custom in the earlier days
of the town, it was used as . school
house. Mr.. Simeon wager taught in
this house generations thathavepassed
away. Others may have taught in the
same building, but their names are
now fast fading from the traditions Of
the Oldest citizens. The house waa
occupied by Sam'l Clover rs resi-
dence certainly 10 the 40's and prob.
ably at an earlier date. His descend.
ants lived there until few years ago.
Many Of the churches, erected school,
houses or the church lots. It is prob
able that the sexton house of the Re-
formed church was originally a school
house. but we have no certain infor-
nation upon that subject.
The Methodist church had brick
school house, probably erected at the
time the second church was built.
which is supposed to have been be-
tween 1925 and 1880. Henry st. J..
Rinker taught in this school in the
early 40's- Afterwards William
Herman. Thos. Ewing, Robert Stidley,
Erasmus Painter and probably others
1t was afterwards used as a sections
house. 1t was from this house, that
the poor idiot, Davy Getz, was drag
geo, chained behind a wagon, COM
PEELED to walk to Bridgewater, and
there to dig his grave and was then
shot like brute, by order of Gen.
Custer. The building was torn down
to make room for the present church.
On the spot where now stands the
beautiful memorial chapel of the Pres
byterian church, was the Woodstock
Academy, a classical school where
students were prepared for the higher
college classes. We do not know
when the building was first erected.
On the first Monday in January 1918,
Rev A. A. Shannon was the principal
Afterwards Rev. Henry Brown, Rev.
John Lodor, Rev Silas Billings, Mr.
John w. Miller. Rev. VIM. A. Craw-
ford, Nj. John j. Sanborn, Mr.. n
Fountain and Mr.. Erasmus Painte,
were principals prior to the civil war.
The Federal soldiers wrecked the in!
side of the building about the close of
the war. The building was afterwards
leased by P. W. Magruder and Jno
H. Grabill and thoroughly repaired.
j II. Grabill was Principal for sew
eral years and was succeeded by Prof.
Joseph Salyards. Mr.. Richardson
conducted small school for several
months in 1870: but soon gave way to
the Public Schools. The upper story
was put on by Cassia Lodge A. F. &
A. NJ. and was occupied by it for
number of years. The lease Of the
building was purchased by J. P. Mel
son who sold it to the Presby terian
church. 1t was occupied as a sexton's
residence until it was torn down, in
order to build the memorial chapel.
A female school was taught by
Misses Mary and Belle Leeper, first 10
the house now belonging to NJ.
Delmar Davis. About the year 1850 a
female seminary was erected by a
Board of Trustees, on the corner of
Court and Muhlenberg streets. It'll
was under the management of Misses
Mary aid Belle Leeper, for some
yesrs. Afterwards Mr.. Tribe taught
in this school and was succeeded BY
Rev. Rowan. Rev. Jas. E. Arm
strong had charge of this school dur
ing the war and until March 1866. P
w. Magruder and J. H. Grabill as
ISOLATE principals conducted the
school tor several years and we're sue
ceeded by j. z. Nelson, who conduct
ed the school until it became Public
Free School. These were the principle
schools Uf the town. There were a
number OF private primary schools,
all OF which ceased to exist after the
Inauguration of the Public Free
School System.