Beaver Creek School (Ashby District #7 and 8)

The Beaver Creek School was one of the earliest known schools in Rockingham County. Beaver Creek School was located on the property of the Beaver Creek Dunker Church (now Church of the Brethren) near Montezuma and for its early years was operated in conjunction with the church. A log structure was built about 1828. Two of the early teachers at this school were Peter Wheeler and Jack Moore. In about 1860, the log building was replaced by a frame structure. The school continued to be operated by the church until it was incorporated into the Rockingham Public School system in the early 1870s. In 1876, a second room was added to the school and, for a few years, the school was operated as a two-teacher school. Professor D. C. Flory was principal at Beaver Creek in 1878. A year later he opened the Spring Creek Normal School which later became Bridgewater College. Some of the teachers between 1879 amd 1887 were James Revercomb, Martin B. Miller, Viola Funk, William Wine, and Miss Frances Miller. Miss Miller was killed in 1882 when she was thrown from a horse in nearby Augusta County.

Principals at the school between 1877 and 1885:

1877-78 W.R. Lantz

1878-79 W. R. McFarland

1879-80 D. C. Flory

1880-82 (two sessions) A. G. Glick

1882-83 Martin B. Miller

1884-85 T. M. Eavy

Teachers at Beaver Creek after 1888 were: (the school became a one-teacher school at this time.

1888-89 John Brunk

1889-91 (two sessions) Will Garber

1891-93 (two sessions) John D. Miller

1893-94 Minor Cline

1894-95 G. B. Soule

1895-98 (three sessions) Minor Cline

1898-00 (two sessions) William S. Miller

1900-02 (two sessions) Miss Anna Miller

1902-03 Cora Ringold

1903-04 Walter S. Thomas

1904-06 (two sessions) Leda Cline

(The Beaver Creek School closed in 1906)

*Information from this report is based on recollections of Walter S. Miller, written in an article in the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record, Tuesday, November 22, 1954)

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