Pleasant Hill School House Museum asks for help with repairs | News, Sports, Jobs

REPAIR NEEDED — The Pleasant Hill School House Museum on State Route 213 in Steubenville needs several repairs to the one-room school, including work on the roof and ceiling. – Contributed by

STEUBENVILLE – There is a small building located on State Route 213 at 3125.

Passersby may not even notice the structure immediately as they drive along the winding road on which it stands.

But in this tiny building lies the source of understanding of what times were like almost 150 years ago.

Inside this brick schoolhouse is a visible example of how different life was for children growing up in the Ohio Valley.

The Pleasant Hill School House Museum was built in 1836 and served as a church until it was converted into a school for local children.

Door frames, door frames and pillars in the building also need to be repaired. – Post

For years, the museum’s board has been trying to give the population a glimpse into the past and to convey to them how their own ancestors used to live.

It was a different time.

A different lifestyle.

The way children received their education was completely different from today.

However, to ensure the preservation of the school building, several repairs are necessary.

This is according to statements by members of the museum’s board of directors, including secretary Connie Crawford, a former Edison Local School teacher who began the one-room schoolhouse restoration project in 2008 along with Gloria Renda and Karen Lundquist.

Officials and volunteers have worked diligently for nearly two decades to rebuild the one-classroom schoolhouse to give the community a glimpse into how children once learned.

The environment in which they had to learn.

The education and resources they had in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

It was a detail-oriented process.

It took time.

And only with the help of the local residents could this dream become reality.

In order to continue pursuing their goal, those responsible are now once again asking for the community’s support.

Because time takes its toll on buildings.

Especially this one.

Crawford explained that the museum is run entirely through donations from its board members and area residents.

The school is also funded by proceeds from annual fundraisers, events and activities held by the school’s board of directors throughout the year, such as square dances.

Now the authorities are trying to ensure the preservation of this historic building – even if it is a tough fight.

“The board members and volunteers are working hard to keep this piece of history alive, but despite all of the work, there is an urgent need for maintenance and upkeep at this time,” said Museum Board Chairman Ryan Finney.

Finney explained that monetary donations are needed to repair the school building.

He pointed out that donations in kind such as time and labor are also needed.

The repairs that need to be done include, for example, the peeling paint from the ceiling tiles.

Finey explained that these particular tiles were the originals that came from the old city building in Steubenville.

He said the slate roof of the schoolhouse and the inside of the chimney needed repairs.

There is repair work and replacement of wooden door frames to be done, and officials are looking for any help or ideas regarding window insulation.

“We want to keep the original windows, but the monthly heating and air conditioning bills are outrageous,” comments Finney.

These are just some of the things that need to be done to maintain the structure.

“It literally took a community to make the project what it is today,” Crawford said. With the help of donations, luck and many blessings, it was possible to preserve many of the space’s original features, she added.

Now she and others hope that the public will once again get involved and support the museum so that future generations do not miss the chance to learn about the past.

She hopes to keep the small building on State Route 213 open to the public for at least another 200 years.

“We thank you all for supporting History on the Hill,” Finney concluded, saying anyone able to make a donation of any kind can contact him at (740) 381-0592.