This bell is the original from the Cranberry School
that used to stand directly across the road from this
location. The bell was hung in the tower on the southwest
corner of the school. Every day the bell was rung to
begin the school day and call the children in from recess.
Anton DeCurtins built the school in 1904 and its
dimensions were 36 ft. wide, 50 ft. long and 30 ft. tall
with a tower. it had a red tile roof, a basement and a
steam furnace. These elements made it one of the most
handsome and best- appointed school buildings in the
county at the time. The front entrance of the school
faced west. In July of 1923 electricity was installed in
the school. Originally grades one through eight were
taught in the one room schoolhouse.
In 1936 the school was remodeled into a two-room
schoolhouse when the Cranberry and Quinter schools
were combined. Grades one through four were taught
on one side and five through eight on the other. A
teacher's house and a bus garage also stood next to the
school. Cranberry school was in operation until the
1960-61 school year when it was annexed to St. Henry
Schools. The Cranberry School was closed when the new
St. Henry elementary school was completed and ready
for classes in September of 1961.
At 2:00p.m. January 18, 1962, the school was sold
at auction for six hundred dollars to Henry J. Vogelpohl,
a representative of the catholic Church of Cincinnati,
Ohio. The building was used as a warehouse for Robert
E. Bruns Construction Co. until it was
(picture of school building)
dismantled so
the bricks could be reused. before the school was
dismantled in 1972, Ray Stachler removed the bell from
the school. He kept the bell for more than thirty years
until the family of George Watercutter purchased it from
his estate auction. The Watercutters donated the bell
back to the parish where it is now displayed in front of
the church. the only other piece of the school still in
Cranberry is one of the original chalkboards, which at
this time is in the home of Meradella Schwieterman.
Steve Watercutter 2008
Comments 0 comments