St. Stephens (Berrytown) School

 

St. Stephens was one of two schools in the Yancey Station area south of Elkton that were started as mission schools of the Episcopal Church. (See Rocky Bar School). The first teachers paid by Rockingham County were employed during the 1914-15 school year. In a Harrisonburg Daily News-Record article in 1913, three teachers are identified as teaching at St. Stephens. Since these three teachers, Miss Henry, Miss Montone, and Miss Bloxton do not appear in Rockingham County school records for that year, it is presumed that these teachers were paid by the Episcopal Church. Miss Letitia Bloxton does appear in the 1914-15 teacher list. The school was a two-room building of frame construction built about 1912. It remained the property of the Episcopal Church and the school system took the responsibility of providing the teachers. During the existence of this school, its administration was shared by the Rector of the Episcopal Church and the Stonewall District school trustees. After World War II the population at St. Stephens declined and the school was closed from 1945-47. When the school was reopened in 1947 it operated as a one-teacher school until 1951 when the school was closed and the students transferred to McGaheysville. Teachers known to have taught at St. Stephens are:

 

1914-15 Anita G. Clark, Letitia Bloxton

1915-16 Frances Compton, Edith Roadcap

1916-17 Eliza L. Carey, Edith Roadcap

1917-19 (two sessions) Cornelia Derrick, Edith Roadcap

1919-20 Sallie Richards, Rosa Woolfolk

1920-21 Lucille Smith, Edith Roadcap

1921-22 Julia M. Meade, Agnes Roadcap

1922-23 Annie Laurie Hensley, Nellie Hensley

1923-24 Letitia Ricaud, Elizabeth Wells

1924-25 Jetta Smith, Elizabeth Wells

1925-26 Mabel M. McWhirk

1926-27 Madeline Shrewsbury

1927-28 Eulalia Miller

1928-29 Mrs. Harrison

1929-31 (two sessions) Marshall Sipe, Margie Carrickhoff

1931-32 Sem W. Swope, Margie Carrickhoff

1932-33 H. Percy Shull, Pauline Shiflet

1933-36 (three sessions) Stanley A. Knupp, Mrs. Stanley A. Knupp

1936-37 Stanley A. Knupp, Anna Lee Simmons

1937-38 William H. Rodeffer, Mabel M. Baker

1938-42 (four sessions) William H. Rodeffer, Ruth C. Lam

1942-45 (three sessions) Hazel Kiser, Ruth C. Lam

1945-46 (school not open)

1946-47 (school not open)

1947-51 (four sessions) Annie Laurie Lam

 


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