Just two miles from the Penn-Kidder Elementary School campus, the one-room Albrightsville Schoolhouse provides a look into the kind of old time educational practices that would make today's kids cringe. The Penn-Kidder school, which modern kids love to hate, is fully equipped with computers and intercoms. The one-room schoolhouse, built in 1855, served students until 1947 without ever adding an indoor bathroom!

A trip to the one-room schoolhouse on Rt. 534 reminds visitors that life in turn-of-the-century Carbon County was difficult, requiring tremendous effort from both teachers and students.

Kids in first through sixth grades took their lessons in one large room. Seats were stationary, attached to wooden desks where students read and wrote. While one grade tackled its assignments, another grade listened to the teacher from pew-like benches at the front of the room. As the instructor finished with each grade, the next group of students advanced to the front benches for new lessons.

The one-room schoolhouse shares several features common to a country church. Its steeply pitched roof is topped by a tower where an old-fashioned pull-bell signaled the start of the school day. Though the sound of the Albrightsville Schoolhouse's bell is still clear, volunteer Mary Walsh cautions it shouldn't be rung.

"The wood up there is rotting," said Walsh. "There's a danger it could come down."

Although the building was renovated in 1997, the volunteer team that helped with the process has dwindled down to a loyal few. Although Kidder Township is technically responsible for the building's upkeep, the municipal authority doesn't pay the historic structure much attention. The real saviors of the school are volunteers from the Albrightsville Fire House—volunteers who could use additional help. Between their heavy schedule of training, fighting fires, and raising funds for their own facility, they keep an eye on the schoolhouse year round.

The firefighters spent countless hours preserving wooden desks that line the classroom. Each row of seats is a different size. Every desk is equipped with an inkwell that conjures up visions of stained pigtails. The firefighters also helped repair the room's coal burner, which once served as the only source of heat.

Walls of the schoolhouse are decorated with art recalling days of reading and writing before the electronic era. Portraits of George Washington and a beardless Abe Lincoln glare down over an ancient slate blackboard. A peeling globe on a chain in the corner offers a peek at antique geography.

"They're not in perfect shape, but it would be a shame to lose these things," says Walsh. "They are part of our local heritage."

The school also maintains a stack of yellowed roll books from the early 1900s and a collection of World War II magazines. Those interested in visiting the one-room schoolhouse should attend the Albrightsville Firehouse breakfast held on the first Sunday of the month when tours are available. Potential volunteers are invited to contact the Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Company, Hwy 534 West, Albrightsville, 570-722-8325.

The one-room Albrightsville Schoolhouse offers a unique window on Carbon County's journey of survival and progress. It will remind today's kids that, while they may think school stinks, it's a whole lot better with indoor bathrooms.

Colleen Davis