Class is IN SESSION at "Good Ol' School Days" Event!

halifaxpahistory
Oct 1, 2025
2 min read

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member & Ryan Bowman, HAHS President

October 1, 2025

HAHS School Marm, "Miss" Danean Walker stands outside the Taylor's One-Room Schoolhouse to summon her students to the 1st Annual "Good Ol' School Days" Event. Photograph by Dylan Bowman.

Living History

With Fall in full swing and school having begun a few weeks ago, it feels only right that the Halifax Area Historical Society treat the community to a living history experience...one that touches the past of the very schooling that could be found in mass in both Halifax and the entire United States for hundreds of years.

On September 27, the Taylor's One-Room Schoolhouse Museum, owned and operated by the Halifax Area Historical Society, opened its doors for a day of family fun, learning, games, refreshments, and an unmatched interactive history experience with their 1st Annual "Good Ol' School Days" program.

Established in the 1830s, the Taylor's One-Room Schoolhouse at the intersection of Matamoras Rd. and Taylor's School Rd. in the rolling countryside of Halifax has long stood as a testament to the rich history of the one-room schools in America, the local area, and their impact on the families and students that attended them.

Members of the community enjoy the Taylor's One-Room Schoolhouse "Good Ol' School Days" Event. Photographs by Dylan Bowman.

Remembering the Old Ways

Well over a hundred individuals attended throughout the day, with over a dozen children also in attendance. The main event of the day consisted of HAHS Museum Curator, Danean Walker, teaching the class in period dress and in accordance with the schedule of a one-room school, including calling students to their studies with an original Taylor's Schoolhouse bell used by the establishment's last teacher, Kathryn Altland.

Reading (W)Riting and (A)Rithmetic were studied, and HAHS President Ryan Bowman gave visitors insight into the stories and history behind both the school and its original inhabitants (several students of whom were also in attendance at the event). At one point, Walker exploded with fright after discovering a rubber snake in her desk drawer...and the culprit responsible was reprimanded and punished in front of the class, much to the audience's delight. After class and the history lessons, a promised and much awaited recess was held giving students the opportunity to learn some old time games while the community mingled with one another, Society members, and the museum's splendid historical displays. The crowd indulged until the ice cream and the time to take it all in were gone.

It was a pleasure to see such a turnout for an event that brought to life with great detail the happenings of a bygone era, and we can't wait to bring more history to you!