Little red schoolhouse
The little red schoolhouse is hidden below Cold Mountain but exposed to view from the heights. We have been captivated by it for years, wondering whether it was the original school for the youngsters of the valley.
We hiked to it this winter knowing only a direction.
There it stood, with it’s bold steeple facing what was once the logging village of Sun Burst. The windows all face down toward the river with white shutters that could be closed up during bad weather. The foundation is fieldstone and river rock. The paint is worn but still undeniably red.
Was this school the one sponsored by the Universalist Church for African American children? There were as many as 100 African Americans working at the Sunburst logging village at its prime.
Segregation required two schools, one for whites and one for blacks. Was the school perhaps operated by the Rev. Hannah Jewett Powell, who herself grew up in a logging community in Maine?
I have many questions about this quaint and humbling little one room school but I do know that it led me down a greater path. The path from this school goes to Friendly House. It opened more doors about the good works by honest, sacrificing people. The poems titled Friendly Poems spoke out to me just as this little school educated many minds. Perhaps long ago a friendly poem was recited down at the Friendly House or the Inman Chapel or even the mystery tiny red school house. All are welcome here.
Hearths and hearts have flooded this valley greater than the dam of Lake Logan. There is a lot of good in this world when you seek it. The mighty bell still sits dormant in its tower and I longed to hear it ring so ring it I shall.