present dwelling of John F. Stevens. In 1812, a school-house
was built on land now owned by Mr. George V. Lasher, and
stood a few rods west of the old blacksmith shop. Miss Polly
Wyatt, a lady from Athens, taught school in this neighbor-
hood in 1812.
In 1816, a school-house was erected on land one hundred
feet north of the southeast corner of Section No. 8, now owned
by S. C. Larkin.
This house was built of logs, hewed or dressed on the inside
as far up as the joists, with a stone chimney built on the out-
side, while the cracks between the logs were chinked with
small pieces of wood or stone and daubed on the outside with
mud. The windows for light were made by cutting out one-
half of the upper side of the log at the proper height, and one-
half of the log next above, on the under side, so as to match.
Instead of glass, paper was fastened on, and then greased so
as to admit the light. This was done on two sides of the
house, and benches were made for the children to sit on, and
boards laid on pins driven into the logs below the windows
were for writing tables. The floor was made of boards, and
loose boards were laid on joists overhead. The roof was made
according to the common log-cabin style, by having eave-
bearers and buttling poles to hold the long shingles in proper
place. Nails were scarce and few were used in building.
The first teacher in this house was David Lindsey, who
taught in the winter of 1816 and 1817. He then settled on the
east branch of Thomas Fork, near the Rutland and Chester
road. His successor as a teacher was Selah Barrett, who
came from Vermont, bringing a young wife with him. They
moved into the school-house and taught the winter school.
His habit was to rise early, cut wood, make a fire, eat breakfast,
and then move the household goods into the loft each morning
before school hours. This was in November, 1817, and the
winter 1818.
