Mountain Top had the distinction of being the last one-room school in Rockingham County to close. After the 1960-61 school year, arrangements were made to have the students at Mountain Top transported down the mountain to the new Bergton School. The closing of the school received press coverage from big city newspapers in Washington and Richmond.

Mountain Top was located near the top of Shenandoah Mountain near the West Virginia line on the road leading to Peru, WV. Students from both Virginia and West Virginia were educated at the school although it was always operated by the Rockingham County Schools.

Mountain Top School was built during the summer of 1919 on land deeded to the school board by Jonas Dove and wife (deed dated May 17, 1919) and the building was completed in August by John Wagner at a cost of $1400. Prior to the construction of this new building a school called Mountain Home School had been operating in the area and presumably the school was taught in a private home. Earlier references are to a school called the Old Burnt School (named because of an early schoolhouse called the Old Mill or Dove School which burned) or the Cross Roads School. The dates and teachers at these early schools are unknown.

Teachers known to have taught at Mountain Top:

1908-09 U. W. Crider (This school was known officially in the Plains District school board minutes as the Mountain Top School. However, it was referred to by local residents as Mountain Home, Old Burnt School or the Cross Roads School)

1909-10 Perry W. Souder
1910-11 (school closed)
1911-12 J. H. Souder
1912-13 L. E. Hottinger
1913-14 Grover Smith

The school was closed from 1914 until the new school was opened for the 1919-20 school year.

1919-20 Lelia Smith
1920-21 Gussie Fulk
1921-22 J. Walter Hottinger
1922-23 Kirby Smith
1923-26 (three sessions) Chas. D. Lantz
1926-27 Lonzie E. Dove
1927-28 Alvan Kerns
1928-30 (two sessions) Daniel Frazier

The school was closed from 1930 until the fall of 1934

1934-35 Geneva Halterman
1935-36 Preston Moyers
1936-37 Ruth H. Wenger
1937-40 (three sessions) Ruth Orendorf
1940-41 Sem W. Swope
1941-42 Earl M. Maust
1942-43 S. Arthur Moyers
1943-44 Mabel S. Erb

The school was closed from 1944 until the fall of 1948

1948-51 (three sessions) Barbara V. Showalter (Crider)
1951-61 (ten sessions) Delmas Sherman

After the school closed in 1961 the Mountain Top property was bought by Alvan Kerns, who had taught at the school during the 1927-28 school year.

Return to the History of Rockingham County Public Schools or the Rockingham County Public Schools home page .