The exact date of construction of the Furnace School is unknown but it is located on Lake's 1885 Atlas of Rockingham County. Undated deed records indicate that the land for the school was deeded to the Stonewall District School Board by the Shenandoah Lumber, Iron and Manufacturing Company who had large land holdings northeast of Elkton near the Furnace Post Office. The school was located near the Fox Mountain Ore Bank. The Furnace School burned in 1908. The Stonewall District School Board rented property belonging to the Dearing family to hold the school during the 1908-09 session. In their meeting of October 16, 1909, the Stonewall Board voted to "award a contract to Gooden Brothers to take down the old Swift Run School house and rebuild it on the lot that once housed the Fox Mountain or Furnace School which burned, theirs being the lowest bid to do the work being $90.50. the board to furnish all necessary lumber and Gooden Brothers to furnish balance of other materials necessary." Apparently this arrangement did not set well with the patrons of the Furnace School and they appealed the decision to Superintendent George H. Hulvey. In a decision recorded on October 26, 1909, Superintendent Hulvey wrote:

Dear Sir,
The following decision in the case pending between School patrons of Furnace #2 School and Stonewall District Board was rendered at Elkton by the Board of appeals October 26, 1909: after a careful review of the matter, the following decision was rendered: The board of appeals hereby reverses the decision of the board of trustees in regard to putting the old Swift Run School House on the Fox Mountain site, and recommends instead that with the aid of the patrons and friends of the above mentioned School a double house be built at Furnace #2 in 1910, if the finances of said Stonewall District School board will permit, and that provision be made by renting to accommodate the pupils of said neighborhood for the present school year 1909-1910.

signed G. H. Hulvey, Clerk C. L. Hedrick, Chairman

The building was again rented from the Dearing family for the 1909-10 school session and the new Fox Mountain School was completed and opened in the fall of 1910.

Teachers known to have taught at the Furnace School:

1887-88 J. Ed Hoover
1888-89 Ella Propst
1889-90 P. A. Wyant
1890-91 Millie H. Runkle
1891-92 Florence E. Leap
1892-94 (two sessions) Sallie Lamb
1894-95 Linnie K. Henton
1895-98 (three sessions) John R. Workman
1898-99 William B. Hensley
1899-1900 Charles Knott
1900-01 (unknown)
1901-02 Mrs. M. E. Rucker
1902-03 Bessie Byrd
1903-10 (seven sessions) Mrs. M. E. Rucker

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