Verden Separate School - Chickasha, OK - One-Room Schoolhouses on Waymarking.com

The Verden Separate School (also known as Separate School District 99) is the last remaining of its kind in Grady County. Very few remain in all of southwestern Oklahoma. It was constructed to satisfy the legally mandated separate school system in Grady County, circa 1920. Used to educate African-American children, it originally stood on a farm near Verden, in Eastern Grady County. Grades 1 through 8 were conducted here, until it was closed in the spring of 1935. The students were then integrated into the Chickasha school system.

The building was used for farm purposes from 1935 until 2004 . The original entry door was replaced with a larger opening and a sliding wood door. The school building was discovered on the farm, purchased, and moved about 10 miles west to Chickasha in 2004. It was placed on a rural-appearing site near the Rock Island right-of-way in eastern Chickasha. The building is located at 315 Ada Sipuel Avenue (named after a woman who was very influential in advancing the civil rights of African-Americans in Oklahoma and beyond).

At the time, the building was in very poor condition. Constructed of frame with a gabled roof, it had fallen into serious disrepair. Plans began to restore the building to as near to its original condition, as possible. It was situated on a poured concrete foundation. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

At the time of this posting, the building has been re-sided with wood siding, and wood shingles added to the roof. The original five windows on the west side have been renovated with wood frame and hung sashes. The sliding farm door was removed and an original single-entry door added. A concrete parking lot and some concrete walkways have been poured and the inside has been restored to its early-day classroom contents. An original wood privy has also been relocated and stands in the yard

No signage is on the location, and it appears as if the renovation is still underway. It is very likely that this school will then be opened to the public to experience former schooldays. [A one-room schoolhouse in Edmond, OK has been renovated and is opened to the public on weekends, with summer day camps and other school education programs made available to local school children.]

Interesting story about this school's centennial (visit link)

Original or Re-creation?: Re-located Original Year the school first opened.: 01/01/1920 Year the school closed.: 01/01/1935 Is the schoolhouse still open as a school?: no Address: 315 E. Ada Sipuel Avenue Chickasha, OK US 73018 Web Address (if available): [Web Link] Does the school offer 19th century classroom reenactments or day camps?: Not Listed

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Date Logged Log   12/05/2018 The Snowdog visited it