The National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form provides a statement of significance for this former school and reads:
The Independent School was located in a rich farming area just south of present-day Philomath in an area settled by Euro-Americans by 1850. When the original school districts were drawn up in 1852, the area that the Independent School served was part of School District No. 8. Somewhere in the vicinity was the Liggett schoolhouse, which was supposed to have been south of McKissie’s Butte, near Gellatly’s Grove. It is believed that by 1868 the Independent School existed in a different building located across the road from the present building; however, the exact location and date of construction for that building is unknown. On July 19, 1918, Ernest and Anna Seehafer deeded one acre of land, a portion of which Independent School is located on today, to School District No. 19. The original deed states that the land was deeded with the agreement that the property would be used to build a school and stated that, “In the event that the said land shall cease to be used for school purposes it shall revert and revest in the said grantors, their heirs or assigns. It is further agreed that the said District No. 19 shall maintain the fence on the North of said acre of land.” Ernest and Anna Seehafer owned a larger parcel of land that bordered the property of the Independent School and it is believed that they were long-time owners of the overall land, most likely a result of a donation land claim.
On October 19, 1919, School District No. 19 contracted with Fred H. Seedenburg to build the Independent School for $3,000.00.46 Seedenburg was a local contractor who was well known for building the Willamette Community and Grange Hall. This Colonial-Revival style meeting hall, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1922 near Corvallis, Oregon. Ernest and Anna Seehafer deeded an additional 0.85 acres of land to School District No. 19 on June 13, 1928, thus resulting in the tax lot size that the Independent School is located on today.
Students who went to the school believe that electricity, along with other more modern amenities, was installed at the Independent School about 1940 in order to update the school. There is only one major addition on the Independent School, located on the east side of the original building. There is no evidence as to when the addition was constructed, although memoirs from individuals that attended the school and aerial photographs of the site indicate that it was added some time between 1948 and 1956. The aerial photograph taken in 1948 clearly shows the original structure of Independent School without the addition whereas the aerial photograph taken in 1956 shows the extension on the eastern end of the building. Memoirs from several individuals that attended the Independent School and later recorded their experiences talk about the addition being constructed in a variety of different years making it difficult to determine an exact date. In 1952, as part of a move to consolidate schools, the Independent School students were transported to Philomath and the school was closed. It remained vacant about two years, after which a preschool used the building for a short time, and once more children’s voices were heard in and around the old building.
On March 10, 1954, School District No. 31, the successor to School District No. 19 in the Benton County School District, deeded the Independent School and land to the Independent Community Club, which still owns and maintains the building and property today. Following this deed a number of quitclaims were filed to discontinue the agreement between the Seehafers and School District No. 19, as the original deed stated the property must be used as a school. On July 18, 1958, William Seehafer et. al., heirs of Ernest and Anna Seehafer, deeded the Independent School and land to the Independent Community Club with a quitclaim deed that changed the agreement to state that the property could be used by the community club for public purposes. On January 29, 1959, Herbert and Sylvia Seehafer, the other primary group of heirs, deeded the Independent School and land to the Independent Community Club as a quitclaim deed with the exact same agreement. Although contrary to the two previous quitclaims, on April 23, 1959, all heirs of Ernest and Anna Seehafer uniformly deeded the Independent School and land to the Independent Community Club as a quitclaim deed that removed all agreements as to how the property could be utilized by the community club.
Since 1959, the Independent School building has been owned and maintained by the Independent Community Club as a community center. They have made no alterations to the building since they took it over, with the exception of minor maintenance including putting a new roof on the building. The schoolhouse is used by the Club for a variety of different events periodically during the year, although there has not been an everyday, continued use of the building, which is the ultimate goal of the board. The Independent Community Club planned and coordinated a reunion of individuals who attended Independent School during the years that it served this rural area as a schoolhouse.55 Many individuals attended the reunion with stories of the time they spent at the school including teachers who had made a large impact on their education; activities that used to take place in and around the schoolhouse not related to education; and even harsh forms of punishment that are no longer accepted as instructional norms. Mrs. Eva Coon recalls particular events of punishment at the original Independent School:
“I first went to school at the Independent schoolhouse when John B. Horner was teacher. Belle Skipton, who afterward became Mrs. John B. Horner, was one of the pupils. I remember one time Mr. Horner had to discipline her. He had her by the arm trying to shake her and she was crying. She was a big girl then. One boy was especially unruly. John Horner used to string him up by the thumbs. He would tie strings to his thumbs, turn his face to the wall, draw his spread arms up until he had to stand on tip-toe, and keep him there for a considerable time.”
Although not the acceptable form of punishment in schools today, the punishments and methods of John Horner during his time as a teacher at the original Independent School would become legendary and are a common topic of conversation among individuals associated with the school historically and today. It is important to acknowledge the development of the educational systems and accept the realities of how schools used to be run compared to today.
Enrollment of students at the Independent School ranged from 15-30 students. Family names included: Wonderley, Chapman, Hendricks, Covey, Henderson, Mellors, Leen, Husted, Mann, Edmonson, Buntin, Smith, Carey, Butler, Jorgensen, Avery, Zimmerman, Gainey, Beaucamp, Woodard, Leech, Endicott, and Luton, farm youngsters whose parents settled the area surrounding the school. Problems were few and their teachers recall that they were a “pretty good bunch of kids.” The Independent School was also the social center of the community. In early years it was used for entertainments, socials, parties, church, Sunday school, and revival meetings. There were singing schools and spelling matches and social gatherings. “Andy Williams used to lead the singing school. My people did not approve of dancing,” say Mrs. Linch. “There was preaching and Sunday school at the schoolhouse. There were dances sometimes and play parties where we played ‘Weevily Wheat’ and ‘Pop Goes the Weasel’,” added Mrs. Lilly.
During its operation as a schoolhouse between 1919 and 1952, the Independent School had a significant impact on the people in the rural community south of Philomath that is still remembered. The Independent School made significant contributions to the education of the people in the area and continues to contribute to the social life of residents of the rural area today by serving as a community center.
The Independent School is one of only a few extant one-room schoolhouses remaining in Benton County. Several of these schoolhouses, all of which were built in the twentieth century, except Beaver Creek School and Evergreen School, display characteristics of the Craftsman style. The Independent School, however, is the primary schoolhouse serving the rural community south of Philomath during its operation from 1919 to 1952 and retains a high-level of integrity including the Craftsman detailing that tended to be associated with one-room schoolhouses in this region of rural Oregon. Most of these schoolhouses struggle to have applicable uses today. With the support of the Independent Community Club, the Independent School building continues to be utilized and remains significant resource to the community in which it is located.
Conclusion
The Independent School is locally significant, and is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its significant role in the educational development of this rural community between 1919 and 1952. Not only did the schoolhouse have a significant impact on the individuals that were associated with the school during its operation, but it also retains a high degree of integrity. There have been minimal alterations to the building originally constructed by Fred H. Seedenburg in 1919 in order to serve School District No. 19 after Ernest and Anna Seehafer deeded the land. The Independent Community Club owns and operates the building today with hopes of finding a continued use for the historically significant building in order to ensure that it will to have an impact on the community in the future, just as it has since the day it was constructed.