Seneca Schoolhouse
by Susan Rissi Tregoning
Title
Seneca Schoolhouse
Artist
Susan Rissi Tregoning
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Seneca Schoolhouse is the oldest surviving one-room school building in Montgomery County, Maryland.
This little schoolhouse in Seneca Mills was entirely funded by private local donations. Led by Upton Darby, who owned a grist mill nearby, Darby donated the land and building materials for the building. Local families contributed labor and cash to built it, pay a teacher $200 a year, and maintain the building. The red sandstone it was constructed with was mined at the nearby Seneca Quarry and is the same sandstone used to build the Smithsonian Castle. The school was run by the community until 1876, when it was taken over by the county.
The schoolhouse was abandoned in 1910 when a new elementary school was built closer to Darnestown, and it became a residence for the next 25 years. It was restored in 1981 and is now the Seneca Schoolhouse Museum.
Many C&O Canal children did not attend school since they were transient living on their family canal boats during the working season. In the winter, when the canal was frozen and the cargo boats couldn’t run, many of those children attended school here.
Copyright 2020 Susan Rissi Tregoning
Uploaded
December 31st, 2020
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