Inscription
One-room schoolhouses were common in small towns and rural areas during the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Children from all grad levels were taught in a single room. Eventually one-room schoolhouses disappeared leaving only a few examples like this one at Nottingham.
In 1816, the Maryland legislature passed an act to fund public schools in Prince George's County. In 1826, trustees were assigned to fund poor children and orphans who could not afford an education. Funding established schools, but travel to and from schools was difficult. Therefore, in 1831 the county was divided into school districts to ensure convenient schools in each region of the county. Nottingham School was one of 10 schools established in District Four by 1868.
The Nottingham schoolhouse was built in 1911, with a $744.50 budget. Some of the construction materials were reused from an older school on the same lot. The new school contained about forty seats, twenty "tolerable" desks, one teacher's desk, two bookcases, a slate blackboard, and a heating stove. There was no plumbing, but an outhouse was built near the school. The schoolhouse overlooks the Patuxent River, and students could watch passing boats through the windows of the tiny schoolhouse. Most students traveled to school on foot and helped their parents with farm work when they were not attending classes.
Nottingham resident Dent Downing reminisces, "I used to walk to school with my brothers, Gordon and Bob. I was only 4, but the teacher (Mrs. Loveless) enrolled me in the first grade anyway. I didn't know how Mrs. Loveless handled all those children and all those grades, but she did and I remember a pot-bellied stove, wooden desks, and no running water." (Sherwood, John. PB Journal. 10-16-86). His Aunt, Anona "Tootie" Duvall taught at the schoolhouse from 1925 to 1931. She remembers that schoolhouse had "a piano, and no lighting of any kind." She had 35 students, and if there was just one in the second grade level, why you taught that one in the second grade. We used to carry water from the spring and the children took turns ringing the school bell outside.
The Nottingham schoolhouse closed shortly after World War II. Mrs. Irene Downing purchased the schoolhouse in 1950 and her heirs donated it to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is now one of the few one-room schoolhouses left standing, a uique tribute to times past.
In 1816, the Maryland legislature passed an act to fund public schools in Prince George's County. In 1826, trustees were assigned to fund poor children and orphans who could not afford an education. Funding established schools, but travel to and from schools was difficult. Therefore, in 1831 the county was divided into school districts to ensure convenient schools in each region of the county. Nottingham School was one of 10 schools established in District Four by 1868.
The Nottingham schoolhouse was built in 1911, with a $744.50 budget. Some of the construction materials were reused from an older school on the same lot. The new school contained about forty seats, twenty "tolerable" desks, one teacher's desk, two bookcases, a slate blackboard, and a heating stove. There was no plumbing, but an outhouse was built near the school. The schoolhouse overlooks the Patuxent River, and students could watch passing boats through the windows of the tiny schoolhouse. Most students traveled to school on foot and helped their parents with farm work when they were not attending classes.
Nottingham resident Dent Downing reminisces, "I used to walk to school with my brothers, Gordon and Bob. I was only 4, but the teacher (Mrs. Loveless) enrolled me in the first grade anyway. I didn't know how Mrs. Loveless handled all those children and all those grades, but she did and I remember a pot-bellied stove, wooden desks, and no running water." (Sherwood, John. PB Journal. 10-16-86). His Aunt, Anona "Tootie" Duvall taught at the schoolhouse from 1925 to 1931. She remembers that schoolhouse had "a piano, and no lighting of any kind." She had 35 students, and if there was just one in the second grade level, why you taught that one in the second grade. We used to carry water from the spring and the children took turns ringing the school bell outside.
The Nottingham schoolhouse closed shortly after World War II. Mrs. Irene Downing purchased the schoolhouse in 1950 and her heirs donated it to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is now one of the few one-room schoolhouses left standing, a uique tribute to times past.
Details
| HM Number | HM1ADY |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Monday, September 29th, 2014 at 2:03pm PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] HBKIDD
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 18S E 351873 N 4286071 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 38.71088333, -76.70366667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 38° 42.653', W 76° 42.22' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 38° 42' 39.18" N, 76° 42' 13.20" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 301, 202, 410 |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 17412 Nottingham Rd, Upper Marlboro MD 20772, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.
Nearby Markersshow on map
Show me all markers in: Upper Marlboro, MD | Prince George's County | 20772 | Maryland | United States of America
Maintenance Issues
- Is this marker part of a series?
- What historical period does the marker represent?
- What historical place does the marker represent?
- What type of marker is it?
- What class is the marker?
- What style is the marker?
- Does the marker have a number?
- What year was the marker erected?
- Who or what organization placed the marker?
- This marker could use another picture or two.
- Can this marker be seen from the road?
- Is the marker in the median?
Comments 0 comments