Search billions of records on Ancestry.com
   
 




Belfast School House History



An early log schoolhouse was erected in 1822, southeast of the site of Belfast{Highland County, Belfast,Ohio}. It was constructed on Montjoy Survey No. 1566, on land belonging to Stacey Storer. The community decided a school was needed and the location on Bee Run was selected. Word was sent out that the settlers were going to gather on a certain day to roll logs. (6)

The cabin scholhouse was constructed on round logs, when finished it was 16 feet had a clapboard roof. The primitive room was heated by a large fireplace across one end and had a puncheon floor. The door was fastened to the battens by wooden pins and swung from wooden hinges. The backless benches driven for legs. This log schoolhouse, with tar oiled paper across the window openings, was an educational center of the southeastern part of the township for many years. It was used for social gatherings as well as political meetings. Meetings were held in it whenever an itinerant(one who travels place to place not settled) minister rode through the neigborhood, the name "Wildwood" was given to the school, suggested by the surrounding countryside. (6)

In 1842 contracts were let for a new school building to be erected three miles northwest of the site of Belfast. The log structure supervised by George Washington "Squire" Siders was a large room heated by a giant " Mogul" stove. It had windows with very small glass panes instead of the oiled paper used in the primitive school. Expenses for its erection were met by contrutions, mostly of labor and logs. Anyone knowing of the location of Bee Run PLEASE E-MAIL ME!

SOURCE: "HIGHLAND COUNTY, HISTORICAL PLACES"


"Highland County Historical Places"


HOW A LOG CABIN WAS BUILT IN 1822

( A DESCRIPTION OF CERTIAN WORDS IN THE USE OF BUILDING LOG CABINS IN 1822)


It may be well to inform the unlearned reader that "clapboards" are such lumber as pioneers split throughout; they resemble barrel-staves before they are shaved, but are split longer, wider, and thinner; of such our roof and ceiling were composed. "Puncheons" are planks made by splitting logs to about two and a half or three inches in thickness, and hewing them on one or both sides with the broadax; of such our floor, doors, tables, and stools were manufactured. The "eave-bearers" are those end logs which project over to receive the butting poles, against which the lower tier of clapboards rest to form the roof.

The "trapping" is the roof timbers, composing the gable end and the ribs. The "trap logs" are those of unequal length above the eave-bearers, which form the gable ends, and upon which the ribs rest. The "weight poles" are small logs laid on the roof, which weigh down the course of clapboards on which they lie, and against which the course above is placed. The "knees" are pieces of heart timber placed above the butting poles, successively, to prevent the weight poles from rolling off.



Log Cabins that was built in 1822. "NOT THE BELFAST SCHOOLHOUSE" in Jackson TWP. Just to give you a idea of a log cabins built in 1822)










Questions, Comments, or Suggestions?
E-Mail me: Lisa!