This column originally appeared in the August 2025 issue of Town&Gown magazine.
In the 18th century, the lands that would become Centre County were harsh to European settlers. Taken by force or treaty from Native American populations who were pushed west, the lands, though plentiful in resources, needed to be carved into a community from dense, primordial forest. Only the bravest or most industrious fur traders and homesteaders could survive.
Steadily, the flow of settlement moved westward. The discovery and subsequent rush to harvest iron resources in the Alleghenies meant that entire communities would need to be constructed to sustain these industries, and in less than 100 years, a once-impenetrable woodland became dotted with villages. As families moved into the area, the need for the most important amenity in any town became apparent — these villages needed schools.
Schooling in the early 1800s was vastly different from the experiences of our children today, with their district-supplied Chromebooks, elective courses and highly qualified teachers. The first school in Centre County appeared in Penns Valley a few miles east of the “Old Fort” on a 7-acre plot of land donated by Jacob Stover in 1789. A “double-house” was built, which would house the school master and his family on one side and the schoolroom on the other. Eventually, other schools would be established in different parts of the county, totaling over 20 by 1820. While the rapid growth of educational opportunities in the “wilds” was a great benefit to these communities, the educational experience varied greatly among these schools.
To quote John Blair Linn, as published in 1883, “With here and there an exception, the schoolmasters of the past generation were deficient in nearly all the qualities that make a good teacher. They were intemperate, tyrannical, illiterate, and considered unfit for any business except school-teaching.” This harsh take on the state of the local schools was generally well-founded. Teachers allegedly used profanities in class, secreted bottles of whiskey in the schoolhouse and were “not probed seriously by officials to fathom the profundity of his knowledge.” Floggings were common, as discipline was valued as highly as quill-pen making and the three R’s. The profession was poorly funded, especially in rural areas, resulting in less qualified educators.
One tradition in these early schools that has fortunately faded into distant memory is the practice of “barring out.” Traditionally done on the day before Christmas break or the last day of school, the idea was for the students to gather in the one-room schoolhouse and “bar out” the teacher — sometimes using wood and nails to barricade! While it may sound comical to visualize students giggling inside the schoolhouse while the teacher tries to surmise a way inside, the consequences of this stunt usually involved rods and paddles when the teacher finally made their way in. One example of this practice occurred around 1800 near Lemont in the schoolhouse of Daniel O’Bryan. Upon being barred out, Mr. O’Bryan surprised the students when he scaled the building and dropped brimstone down the chimney, filling the building with smoke. The schoolchildren disbarred themselves that day!
The era of unsupervised rural schools with few resources and poor educators slowly faded in Centre County as progress marched on. As communities developed in the county, alongside shifting philosophies on education across the country, the need for a county superintendent to oversee all schools became apparent. In 1854, Centre County elected Dr. W.C. Gibson at a salary of $600 (over $25,000 in purchasing power today).
Dr. Gibson and his successors would work to make schools in the community stronger, specifically targeting the issue of unqualified educators leading schools. To remedy this, academies in the county began offering “normal” classes aimed at training educators. In 1855, the first “normal school” opened in Howard temporarily, and the county’s first permanent normal school was established in 1866 in Rebersburg. Normal schools were run yearly by the superintendent, taught those interested in becoming educators how to teach and were funded directly by the county. In 1877, local normal school offerings ceased in Centre County as the State Normal School was established at Lock Haven.
While much has changed in Centre County’s schools over 200 years, the mission has remained the same — aiming to improve and innovate for the benefit of our children. What started as a collection of makeshift pioneer schoolhouses has transformed into the school districts we see today. T&G
Local Historia is a passion for local history, community and preservation. Its mission is to connect you with local history through engaging content and walking tours. Local Historia is owned by public historians Matt Maris and Dustin Elder, who co-author this column. For more, visit localhistoria.com.
Sources:
Linn, John Blair. History of Centre and Clinton Counties, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Louis H. Everts, 1883.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “CPI Inflation Calculator.” U.S. Inflation Calculator, https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/. Accessed 10 July 2025.
