Schools

School Board Directives

The Washington Township School Board met on July 20, 1893 to make the following requirements for teachers:
"that...each teacher shall subscribe for and read one or more school journals during the school term;
...they hold a monthly district institute, the sessions to begin at 9:00 a.m. and close at 3:00 p.m.;
...the secretary to keep and record correct minutes and attendance of each meeting;
...that each teacher shall open his and her schoolhouse every Monday morning not later than 7 1/2 o'clock and on every other day in the week not later 7:45 a.m.;
...to open school sessions each morning at 8:15 a.m. and close at 3:45 p.m.; Eshbach

...that each teacher shall give a recess of seven minutes to the boys and seven minutes to the girls, each at separate times;
...that the teachers shall pay special attention to the moral training and instruction of the pupils on the play ground and on their way to and from school, to caution them more particularly with regard to their conduct and language on those occasions and to correct them accordingly for disobedience and that the teachers use, and require the pupils to use, the English language as much as they possibly can; and to cause them to avoid all injury and defacing of school property."

Township Schools

Education was as important to the very early settlers of Washington Township as it is today. For many years the Township had nine schools, the most of any township in Berks County.

Today, the only school actually located in the Township is the Washington Elementary School, which is part of the Boyertown Area School District. This resulted from the consolidation in June 1952 of Grades 1 through 6 when the School Boards of Bally, Bechtelsville and Washington Township merged. In June of 1953, these three localities also became part of the new Boyertown Area High School joint authority for the purpose of grades 7 to 12 education.

The elementary Building along Route 100 just south of Bally was erected in 1961. Students from kindergarten through grade six attend this school before going to Boyertown Area Junior and Senior High Schools.

There is evidence that the very first settlers brought a strong belief in education with them.

In 1755, Reformed ministers asked the churches of Holland to contribute to the instruction of Germans and their children in Pennsylvania. When King George III of Great Britain also contributed to this effort, the Pennsylvania German settlers, still remembering the controls experienced in Europe, were concerned these schools would lead to domination by the Church of England. So the Germans continued to educate their children through the church schools.

Most church buildings were also used as schoolhouses. At first, books were probably provided only by families and churches who were privileged to own them. German was predominant until after the Revolution when some English was used.

By 1763, the English denied the contribution toward the failure of earlier "Charity Schools" and hinted at the lack of education among the Germans. However, a letter written by Rev. Alexander Murray in 1763 said the area was "abundantly well provided in teachers of one denomination or another."

Washington Township's own church schools are evidence that this had been true for some years.

The Church School

One of the earliest schools of the area was the Church School of the Catholic parish. Today it is known as Most Blessed Sacrament School (St. Francis Academy). It is one of the first Catholic parochial schools in the America.

The school was started by Father Theodore Schneider, sometime after he arrived in 1741, and was open to all children. The original school met in a one story log building located north of St. Paul's Chapel. A lay teacher, Henry Fredder (or Fretter) is mentioned in records of 1763 but there is no proof that he was indeed the first.

At that time the school year consisted of only four months so the children could help with their family farm or business.

When Father Bally became pastor in October 1837 he built a new school house, a framed one story building with two rooms. Enrollment increased and an addition was built.

Father Bally took an important step for the newly renovated school when he made arrangements with the school authorities of Washington Township. It was agreed Father Bally would furnish the building and pay for the primary teachers and the Township would pay qualified teachers for the upper grades. These needed to be satisfactory to Father Bally but hold valid certificates.

Therefore it was a public school yet had advantages of a parochial school. It met requirements of the school law but still had religious exercises. The new school had graded classes and the school year was lengthened to eight months.

Early teachers were Jerome Stegel (1858-1862), Nicholas Andre (before 1860), Samuel Whitman, George W. Melchior and James W. Kase (1879).

church

Father Bally insisted on promoting the English language though German was more commonly used. He even instilled various penalties for violations of the rule, from ear pulling to demerits to record books which a child who lapsed into German had to keep until it was passed to another guilty child.

In August 1889, the sisters of St. Francis became the first religious community to teach at Bally. Three sisters arrived, Sister Mary Agatha, Sister M. Cordula and Sister M. Finton.

A new two story brick building (pictured at right) was constructed in 1893 under the direction of Father Misteli. It had two classrooms on the first floor. The large assembly hall on the second floor had a kitchen and a stage.

In 1914 the upper story was found to be unsafe and the school was vacated. The Quigley Hotel became a temporary school. After the second story was removed, school was resumed in the building in October 1917.

From 1925 to 1929 graduation was held outside at the Goodwill Fire Company. In 1930 it began to be held in the church.

A parish school bus was put into operation September 1938, making two trips each day.

The first floor of what is the museum today was remodeled in l937 and used for additional classrooms until the present school was built in 1953.

The struggle between church schools and government proposals for education continued until 1834. The passage of the "Common-School Law" on April 1, 1834, finally created an organized educational system in Pennsylvania.

This government school concept was not readily accepted but according to Morton L. Montgomery's History of Berks, "The state now stepped forward and declared that, whilst it pretended not to interfere with the religious freedom of the people, it desired that in every county there should be supported by taxation a system of schools in which a solid elementary instruction in the secular branches might be imparted to every child in its broad domain."

Washington Township adopted the Common Schools Plan in 1850 sixteen years after State approval. Prior to this private pay schools probably existed in several communities. A schoolroom had been added to the Mennonite Meetinghouse at Churchville in 1790. Near Schultzville the Schultz family sponsored a neighborhood school, long known as the Independent School, even after the Township School Board was organized.

Rehr's

The Washington Township School District eventually consisted of the Catholic "Church" School as well as the Barto School, Diehl's School on the north edge of Bally, the Oberholtzer School near Eshbach's Crossing, the Schultzville School, the Oil Mill School northwest of Bechtelsville, Rehr's School on Crow Hill above Forgedale (shown at left), Frey's School near Passmore, and Heydt's School which enjoyed the highest elevation in the Township.

Education in a one room school was not inherently inferior. The continuity of several years with the same teacher created a bond that often proved encouraging beyond the class room. The "inter-generational" relationships spanning eight grades, and the limited size in any single grade, reduced negative aspects of peer pressure. One learned to get along with persons several years older or younger.

Long time teacher, Ivy Yost, in reflecting on her experience in the one room schools, observed that five boys that received their early education in the one room schools during the 1940's went on to become medical doctors.

The foundation gained in the "old fashioned" classroom proved more than adequate for the careers of the Doctors Aaron Longacre, Robert Nuss, Gerald Yost, Linford Gehman and Dr. Erb.

Heydt's School

On February 3, 1894 the Washington Township School board met at the Barto School. At this meeting, "Anthony Kemmerer presented a petition signed by many citizens living in the Heydt's School district praying that the school board erect a new school building in said school district during the summer of 1894. It was agreed to postpone the consideration of the petition until the opening of the school year beginning the first Monday in June l894."

Heydt's

On June 2, 1894 the board met to reorganize. After the election of officers, the scheduling of a six month school term to begin the first Monday of October, and the assignment of teachers salaries, the motion was passed "to require the teachers to hold a monthly teacher's institute to open on Friday evening and to be continued until Saturday evening."

"After consultation, it was agreed to build a new schoolhouse in Heydt's district, said building to be either of stones or bricks, as may be considered the cheapest and the best, the dimensions to be 26 x 36 feet, if the walls are to be built of stone, and 24 x 36 feet, if the walls are to be of bricks. A cellar shall be dug under the house and the schoolroom warmed by a heater in the cellar."

When the board met at Eshbach on June 9, 1894 they established the specifications by which the Heydt's Schoolhouse would be constructed. On June 16 the board met at the old Heydt's schoolhouse to select a suitable location for the new schoolhouse and to contract the erection of the new building. "William Reitenauer having been the lowest bidder the contract was awarded to him." This "new" school house is illustrated at right.

Throughout the summer the board met to purchase books and supplies and by November 5, 1894 "the committee on the new schoolhouse inspection reported the building finished according to contract."

"Henry Eddinger, committee on bell, reported the purchase of the same and placed in the belfry at Heydt's new schoolhouse."

"Anthony Kemmerer, committee to fill up the Heydt's school lot reported the lot properly filled and leveled."

The "new" Heydt's Schoolhouse was completed and ready to instruct students in reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and deportment.

Barto

Barto School

Near the junction of Barto Road and Old Route 100 is the Barto School (shown at left). The building was erected in the 1880's to replace an earlier school. The first Barto school was located along Old Route 100 between the Barto spring and Dairy Lane.

Some of the teachers were Mary Hines, Rev. Leslie E. Wenner, Aileen M. Ake, Marie Hartline Becker and Mary O. Riegel. Most of the school board meetings seem to have been held at this school probably because it was centrally located.

The building was closed at the time of consolidation in 1952 and is now a private home.

Schultzville School

The present Washington Elementary School is actually the third school building on this site.

Schultzville

As an 89 year old resident of the township, the late Chester Hoffman, remembered attending the first Schultzville School (illustrated in drawing at right). He described it as a small one room school with a stove in the middle of the room. He remembered Roy Rapp, the teacher, who came by horse and buggy from Palm or East Greenville. Another teacher was Mary Steir.

There was no well on the school property and he recalled being sent "across to the Longacre farm to fetch drinking water."

Chester Hoffman's children attended the second Schultzville school in the 1930's and 1940's. Alfred Brumbach had been teaching at Schultzville for many years by this time. Mrs Virginia (Quigley) Gunther and, later, Mr. Russell Ruppert also taught at this building.

On Best Behavior

A visit by the County School Superintendent Newton Geiss seemed a frightening experience to young students. His authoritative gaze peering through his wire-rimmed glasses made the boldest student tremble. A visit by St. Peter could not have been more serious.

One had to be ready to recite a recently memorized poem if called upon. Or to be ready to add sums in your head or to do long division on the blackboard in front of the entire class. Or to give the capital cities of any state.

To add to the tense excitement was knowing that the teacher was on trial along with the entire classroom. This was a time for best behavior

But what a good feeling when your mind did not go blank before the end of a recitation, and when the answers proved correct to an arithmetic puzzle!

A compliment from the County Superintendent did not have to be profuse to be a treasured memory. Just the relief of having the visit conclude was reward enough for most students.

Excerpted from "CONTINUING THE VISION -- PRESERVING THE VALUES", the history of Washington Township prepared to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Township's establishment. Copyright 1990, Washington Township Historical Committee.