The first school in Timberville was a one-room log building near the river. The exact date of construction of this school is unknown but it preceded the development of the public school system. The first school that would become part of the Rockingham County school system was built in 1871 near the center of town on land donated by William Thompson. This school is indicated in the Timberville map in Lake's 1885 Atlas of Rockingham County. It was located just west of the cemetery and, after closing, was used as the town hall for many years. This building was a one-room frame structure The only known teacher at this early one-room school was H. A. Rife. By 1886, growth of the town required a larger school and on May 28, 1886, land was deeded from Abraham Garber and others for a new school. This building was located on what would later be known as "Schoolhouse Hill". A two-story, four-room frame building was constructed and opened in 1887. This became one of the early graded schools in northern Rockingham. On October 21, 1913, after a political meeting, the four-room building burned to the ground. News accounts indicated that the fire may have been deliberately set. At the Plains District school trustees meeting of May 12. 1914, a decision was made to replace the burned structure with a brick veneer, six-room building with an auditorium. The building would be of the same design as buildings constructed at Bridgewater (1911), Linville-Edom (1912) and Dayton (1914). Thuma and Dovel were the contractors and the building was built at a cost of $9865. Prior to 1920, Timberville became one of the four-year accredited high schools in Rockingham County. In 1923, a addition of four rooms and an auditorium was constructed to the back of the original building at a cost of $17,500. The contractor was the Broadway Hardwood Company. As the high school program expanded additional buildings were constructed at Timberville. In 1936, an agriculture building was built across the street from the school and used materials salvaged from the closed Garber's school west of Timberville. In 1939, the Wright house was purchased and moved and became the home economics cottage. In 1945 a lunchroom was added to the back of the 1923 addition at a cost of $6000.
In 1952, Timberville High School was consolidated into the new Broadway High School and the Timberville building became an elementary school. The school was used until 1972 when it was consolidated into the new Plains Elementary School in Timberville. Principals at Timberville are:
1871-72 W. A. Rife
Graded building on Schoolhouse Hill
1887-88 William P. Faucett
1888-91 (three sessions) D. J. Offman
1893-96 (three sessions) Daniel Hayes
1903-07 (four sessions) A. B. Miller
1909-10 W. H. Ritenour
1910-11 Alvin G. Irvin
1911-12 E. G. Crickenberger
1912-13 C. D. Layman
1913-15 (two sessions) E. M. Wampler
1915-16 R. P. Keezel
1916-18 (two sessions) D. I. Suter
1918-22 (four sessions) O. S. Miller
1922-24 (two sessions) Reuben L. Humbert
1924-25 Lowell V. Sharpes
1925-30 (five sessions) John W. Boitnott
1930-37 (seven sessions) Rudolph A. Glick
1937-49 (twelve sessions) Edwin E. Will
1949-51 Harry W. McCary
1951-52 W. Blaine Gibbs
High school closed and school becomes elementary school
1952-53 W. Blaine Gibbs
1953-59 (six sessions) Lawrence W. Bowers
1959-64 (five sessions) Ashby L. Shifflett, Jr.
1964-72 (eight sessions) Gar Miley
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