Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse
General information
Town or city	14 St. Georges Street St. Augustine, Florida
Country	United States

The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is a wooden structure located at 14 St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida near the city gate. It is touted as being the oldest wooden school building in the United States. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it first appears on tax records in 1716. There are no extant buildings in St. Augustine built prior to 1702 when the British burned the city. The oldest schoolhouse still standing in the United States is the Voorlezer's House built prior to 1696 and located in Historic Richmondtown in Staten Island, New York.^[1][2][3]

The house is encircled by a large chain, placed there in 1937, to help anchor it to the ground in case of a hurricane. The walls are made of bald cypress and red cedar which are held together by wooden pins and iron spikes but it has had recent maintenance such as a new roof among other fixes.

The schoolmaster and family lived on the second floor above the classroom and the kitchen was located in a separate building to reduce heat and threat of fire.^[4] The building originally belonged to Juan Genoply. The classroom was shared by both boys and girls.

Tours

The school is open everyday except Christmas from 9 to 5 with extended summer hours. The facility features a self-guided tour with a robotic professor and student giving a brief history on the house. There are also numerous items with information posted around the building to read. Gardens located behind the house feature exhibits of the kitchen, a rebuilt outhouse, and an old well.

References & footnotes

References

• Florida, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, 2004, pg. 198
• Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, about.com
• Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse Website

Footnotes

1. ^ Voorleezer House National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. 2007-09-10.
2. ^ USA Today Travel In another instance of exaggerated advertising in the Old City...
3. ^ The Oldest Wooden What?
4. ^ The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. "The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse" brochure, circa 2007.

Coordinates: 29°53′50″N 81°18′49″W / 29.89736°N 81.31355°W / 29.89736; -81.31355