Fairview Church - Shell Knob, MO
N 36° 39.488 W 093° 39.067
15S E 441807 N 4057146
A country church held in a historic one-room school in rural Barry County, Missouri
Waymark Code: WMNBYM
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 02/09/2015
Views: 2
An entire
booklet of 34 pages has been written about this site as Fairview School in district 75 (1897 to 1963), but very few references are found about its life as a country church, which it still is. There is a mention of a revival at this church from September 25 to 27, 2014 at
this Barry County Advertiser on-line document (warning: large!). There is no church sign with service hours or pastor's name or denomination (if any) or phone number. Just the church name, Fairview Church, on the front of the building.
It is near the ghost town of Hill City (just a junction with one business, now) north of Shell Knob. The classic hand-operated pump is still in place in front of the building, but is not operational. The new well head is immediately next to the old pump. Also, the outhouse -- an unusual 3-seater -- is out back and in good condition. But the septic field and tank access behind the church is clear indication that it is no longer strictly needed. The bell tower is now an enclosed cupola.
Reading the history "between the lines" one sees that (1) the original building looks a little different - single windows instead of doubles; (2) the 1929 school photo does not have a building in the background like the other years; (3) there is a bond-drive document for building a Fairview school in 1929; (4) the school photos thereafter show double windows on the building; leading one to assume that the original 1897 building was destroyed, and this building (very similar) is from 1929. Somewhere along the years an addition was put onto the west side of the one-room school. An active electric connection and meter, and a propane tank, as well as the aforementioned revival in 2014, are indications that the church is still active.