Spurrier School - Lamoni, IA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 40° 37.453 W 093° 57.167
15T E 419415 N 4497479
While at Liberty Hall, visitors can explore a one room country school house. Students and teachers are encouraged to visit the school and programs can be tailored to fit the needs of visiting groups.
Waymark Code: WMJAHR
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2013
Views: 2
County of School: Decatur County
Location of School: Liberty Hall Historic Site, 1 mile W. of downtown Lamoni
Site Phone Number: (641) 784-6133
Site E-Mail: libhall@grm.net
Site Hours: Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm • Sunday 1:30 - 4:00 pm • Closed: Dec 23 - February 28
Marker Text:
Spurrier School
Spurrier School, once called Black School, dates to the 1870s. It is likely that some of the children of Joseph Smith III attended this school after the family moved to Lamoni in 1881. Originally located two blocks west and one-half block south of Liberty Hall, the school was moved to this site in 1974 for preservation.
One-room schools were common in rural areas of the United States into the 1940's. The curriculum stressed basic reading, spelling, grammar and arithmetic skills as well as moral discipline. One teacher taught all grade levels and all subjects to pupils ages six to fourteen. Both men and women served as teachers. They often lived with a family in the community and were responsible for everything in the school. Responsibilities in addition to teaching included shoveling the walks, getting firewood, cleaning the building and more. Students walked or rode horseback to school. Schoolwork was written with slates and slate boards or with pens and inkwells. Games of hoops, stickball and hide-and-go-seek were enjoyed curing recess.