Site of Woodhouse School

Duane's take

The official marker tells this story, and here's how I tell it. Somewhere in Anderson County, three small schools decided they were stronger together than apart. Long Lake, Tucker, and Magnolia, each running on two teachers apiece, one handling grades one through four and another taking grades five through eight, came together and formed Consolidated Common School District Number Seven.

That consolidation needed a home, and in December of 1937, a man named William Phillip Bishop Woodhouse stepped up. Born in 1864, and he'd live all the way to 1951, Woodhouse deeded a portion of his landholdings to the school district so something new could be built. Something that would carry his name.

Come the fall of 1938, Woodhouse School opened its doors for its first session, and most of those familiar teachers from Long Lake, Tucker, and Magnolia came right back to work, walking through a new door but teaching the same kids. The school started with grades one through eight, which is already a full load, but it had bigger ambitions than that. It added a grade each year, climbing the ladder, and by 1942 it had climbed high enough.

The first senior class graduated that year, and the school published its very first yearbook. That's a milestone worth sitting with for a moment. First superintendent of the district was J.P.

Brookshire, who held that position until 1939. Then the Work Projects Administration came to town in 1941 and put up additional facilities, an agriculture building, a cafeteria, and a home economics cottage. The school was growing into itself.

On the athletic side, basketball was the heartbeat of Woodhouse. Boys and girls both, fielding competitive teams throughout much of the school's history. Not every rural school could say that.

Now, the end of a good thing often comes quietly, and it came for Woodhouse when it consolidated with Four Pines School to create Westwood School. The class of 1960 was the last to graduate from Woodhouse. But even then, the buildings kept serving folks until 1979.

The doors didn't slam shut, they just slowly went still. Woodhouse School remains an important part of the history of rural education in Anderson County, and now you know why.

What the marker says

Woodhouse School began with the consolidation of the Long Lake, Tucker and Magnolia schools into Consolidated Common School District No. 7. These were all small schools, each with two teachers: one for grades one through four and another for grades five through eight. In December 1937, William Phillip Bishop Woodhouse (1864-1951) deeded a portion of his landholdings to the school district for the construction of Woodhouse School. Most of the teachers from Long Lake, Tucker and Magnolia returned to teach at Woodhouse for its opening session in the fall of 1938. Originally serving grades one through eight, the school added a grade each year until 1942, when the first senior class graduated and the first yearbook was published. First superintendent of the school district was J.P. Brookshire, who remained in that position until 1939. The Work Projects Administration (WPA) built additional facilities for Woodhouse School in 1941, including an agriculture building, a cafeteria and a home economics cottage. Athletic programs centered around basketball, and Woodhouse fielded competitive boys' and girls' basketball teams throughout much of its history. Consolidation with the Four Pines School to create Westwood School signaled the closing of Woodhouse. The class of 1960 was the last to graduate from Woodhouse, although its facilities continued in use until 1979. Woodhouse remains an important part of the history of rural education in Anderson County.