Walnut Grove School, Grayson County, Kentucky

At the beginning of the 20th century,  the Grayson County School Board embarked on an ambitious school building campaign across the west-central Kentucky county. Around 100 one-room schools were ultimately constructed, serving schoolchildren in scattered, small, rural communities. One of the survivors is the one-story, 30-foot long Walnut Grove School, built in 1911. Since my travels have been curtailed like so many others over the last few months, I am exploring some historic sites across the Bluegrass virtually, thanks to the records of the National Park Service. Most of Kentucky’s National Register of Historic Places nomination forms can be found and enjoyed online!

Gable end and façade view of the Walnut Grove School. Circa 1987 photograph from the National Register of Historic Places files.

Raised above the ground about two feet on stone piers, the façade of the Walnut Grove School has two doors – one for boys, and one for girls.  A potbellied stove located near the center of the school provided heat. Iron frame desks clustered near the stove. The floor was made from locally grown pine, and the floor, walls, and ceiling were clad in tongue-and-groove-boards.

Section of the 1925 Springlick USGS topographic quadrangle maps showing the Walnut Grove School.

This 1911 school is the third school to occupy the site. The first school in Walnut Grove, built around 1860, was a log building that held about 60 students. It was replaced by a frame building in 1875. The succession of buildings all fulfilled a vital role: school, church, and community center.

The one-room schools of Kentucky – and there were many – were obsolete by the mid-20th century. Consolidation closed the Walnut Grove School in 1956,and students attended school in Caneyville, about two miles away.

Rear and side elevation of the Walnut Grove School. Circa 1987 photograph from the National Register of Historic Places files.

The Walnut Grove School fared better than most. A series of thoughtful owners over 20 years preserved the school until it was donated to the Grayson County Historical Society in 1979. In 1987, the Historical Society worked with the Kentucky Heritage Council to list the school in the National Register of Historic Places. At the time the school was listed, the Historical Society used the building as a museum.

Since I haven’t visited the Walnut Grove School in person, I can’t attest to the condition of the building. I am hopeful that it remains standing, as too many of our historic one-room schools have crumbled to the ground over the past few decades.

Want to read about another one-room school in Kentucky? Visit this link https://wp.me/p527lo-n5  to read about the Frenchman’s Knob School, Hart County, Kentucky.