A gift of history

In the latter part of the 19th century, on an acre of land he donated, Julius Albrecht built a one-room schoolhouse on the family farm east of what is now Scott City. Many farm children from the area went through their first eight grades at Head School before it closed in 1940. Among them were Julius' grandson, George, and seven of George's brothers and sisters.

The building and land eventually returned to the Albrecht family. Before he died in May at age 78, George told his wife, Jane, he wanted her to give the historic schoolhouse to Scott City.

The gift of the schoolhouse will be accepted, says Carolyn Pendergrass, chairwoman of the city's Historic Preservation Commission. The problem, from Scott City's point of view, is where and how to move it.

"We have some ideas," Pendergrass said, referring to locations for the schoolhouse. "Our initial thought is to try and get people who have some connection to the school and get ideas from them."

The families who had children attending the school took turns supplying wood for the pot-bellied stove that kept them warm, Albrecht said. "A lot of people went to that school."

A house mover from Bloomfield, Mo., has assessed the moving problem. He told Pendergrass it will be difficult to move the 20-by-30-foot building into town because of power lines along the way. He recommends removing the roof.

The building is on Roth Drive, about a mile east of the Scott City limits.

The school closed after the Illmo grade school was built at Maple and Third streets in town. The school's last teacher was the aunt of Scott City resident Connie Miller. Rose Willetta Beardsley now lives in Hillsboro.

In 1954, George's father, Louis, bought the building and the acre from the Illmo school district for $300. George, a dairy farmer, eventually moved the sturdy cypress building next to his milk house to use as a granary.

A presentation about the schoolhouse will be made to the Scott City City Council at its meeting tonight. Albrecht has been told it might be a year before the city can make the move.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182