Crouse School House should remain with historical society
The Crouse School House is located on Route 21; one mile from Rogersville. It is one of the last remaining one room school houses in the area.
It has been part of the West Greene educational system for more than 100 years and has been a large part of the community. About five years ago, the roof was falling down, the bell tower was in disrepair and the inside needed work. A few people tried to fix it and could not complete it. In a very short time, the roof would fall in and the school would have to be torn down. There were pictures to show this.
The Greene County Historical Society (GCHS) did nothing to fix it. Why? The community was not going to let this happen. Businesses, organizations and individuals in Greene County donated money and time, which put a temporary roof on the schoolhouse, and then a new roof, fixed up the bell tower and the inside of the schoolhouse, to make it look like a school again. Electric was also put in.
All this was done without help from the GCHS. It did not cost them one red cent! Now they want to separate the school from the GCHS. Why? Today, it looks like it did 100 years ago. Question: is West Greene part of Greene County? By order of the board and administration, they changed the locks and put no trespassing signs on the lawn. Why? The West Greene community did their part to preserve their history. The GCHS did not. Why? I consider their actions as a slap in the face of West Greene. I urge all who are interested to write to the GCHS and the administrator, Matt Cumberledge, to let them know how you feel about our school and community. Also call me at 724-499-5332 or 5348.
John Buzz Walters is a former teacher and Crouse Schoolhouse restoration chairman.