The Mt. Carmel School replaced the Landes
(Hall) School after it burned in 1874. Both schools were located
on the Swift Run Gap Road (now Mosby Road) and the Mt. Carmel School
was about five-eights of a mile closer to Dayton. The Mt. Carmel
School property was deeded to the Ashby District School Board by Noah
Wenger and was constructed in 1876. The school was described in an
1886 building survey:
"This house is frame and belongs to the district, is located on the
Swift Run Gap Road, between the Harrisonburg and Warm Springs
Turnpike (now Route 42) and the Valley Pike (now U. S. Route 11) near
Noah C. Wenger. It has one outhouse, one acre land attached acquired
by purchase. Height of house 18 feet, one story, one room with seven
windows, 12 light 10 x 16 glass and window shutters, size of room 20
x 30 feet, ceiling 11 feet high, ventilated by aid of window springs
in upper sash, room contains 20 desks, 3 benches, one table, stove,
and 13 yards of blackboard."
According to an article written by Mr. J. D. Wampler in the Thursday,
October 21, 1954 edition of the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record the
school "had as many as 60 pupils and seldom had a term lasting longer
than five months. It was a social center, hosting many social
singings and it was known to be hard to defeat in the old-time
spelling matches".
Teachers known to have taught at Mt. Carmel were:
1876-77 Mr. Brill
1877-78 Mr. Shepp
1878-80 (two sessions) Maylon Richcreek
1880-81 Mr. Barley
1881-82 Charles Early
1882-83 John A. Garber
1883-84 Abram Click
1884-85 John Ritchie
1885-88 (three sessions) Isaac Wenger
1888-91 (three sessions) Newton Ralston
1891-93 (two sessions) Isaac Wenger
1893-94 B. S. Landes
1894-96 (two sessions) Pauline Head
1896-97 Charles C. Senger
1897-98 Roy Cromer
1898-99 Miss Ritchie
1899-00 Edith Reubush
1900-01 John Thomas
1901-02 Joe Kagey
1902-03 Pearl Wampler
1903-04 Luella Flory
1904-06 (two sessions) John Thomas
1906-11 (teachers unknown)
1911-14 (three sessions) Homer F. Thomas
1914-15 A. J. Maiden
1915-16 Bernard Young
The Mt. Carmel School closed in 1916
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