Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary School - Cedron, MO - One-Room Schoolhouses on Waymarking.com

County of school: Moniteau County
Location of site: Cedron Rd & Zey St., Cedron (ghost town), ½ mile W. of MO-D, and several miles W. of Jamestown
Approved listing: 4 February 2014

"The congregation supported a small parochial school on the grounds from 1857 to 1931, constructing three different schoolhouses (c . 1857, 1886, and 1900) to accommodate students. The c. 1900 one-room frame school is still standing and contributes to the significance of the rural church property. (See Photos 4 and 14, and Figure 8). The building faces south and is of gable-front design, has a stone foundation, and measures 22 x 30 feet. The metal clad roof is gabled and a small brick chimney, formerly used for an interior wood stove, sits at the peak on the north end. The entrance, a 5-panel door, is centered on the south side and is sheltered beneath a small awning roof supported by knee braces. A square window, currently boarded over, is centered below the roof peak. Three evenly spaced 4/4 double-hung wood windows are located on the east and west elevations. A secondary entrance on the rear (north) wall is offset to the east. Like the front, this entrance is also a 5-panel wood door. The interior has simple plaster walls and wood floors." ~ NRHP Nomination Form

"Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church is located in the small settlement of Cedron. The village took its name from the biblical Valley of Cedron that runs a course from near Jerusalem to the shores of the Dead Sea.2 German immigrants, primarily Catholic, settled in the area in the early to mid-1800s. The small settlement was typical of rural crossroads, supporting a general store just west of the church complex. Cedron briefly had a post office (1896-1907) in the general store, and for several years supported a blacksmith shop next door.

"The growing congregation brought with it demands for parochial education for the church parish’s children. The construction of the first school at Assumption in 1857 corresponds with the development of Catholic school education nationally, in large part due to the perception of blatant Protestant teachings and leanings in developing public school systems.14 Assumption’s school offered an alternative to rural township schools that were opening in Moniteau County in the mid-to-late 19th century. The log school house, 16 feet square, cost approximately $20 and had an enrollment of 20 children taught by Joe Schweitzer. A new frame school, 24’ x 30,’ was built in 1886 costing $403 with 35 children enrolled.15 This building was replaced by another frame school building, 22 feet by 30 feet in c. 1900. This building served as a school until 1931 and is still used to support events on the property." NRHP Nomination Form