Wooster Was Known As Progressive When It Came to Education

By Jeanine Kendle

Editor’s note: This is the first of seven parts.

By PAUL LOCHER

Staff Writer

WOOSTER — It can be truthfully stated almost from the day of its founding, the city has placed a high value on education.

In 1812, only four years after settlement, the first schoolhouse was built. This school, a one-room blockhouse at Bever and North streets, which met under the tutelage of Carlos Mather, was not free. It and the schools that followed were subscription schools, supported by the parents of the students who attended. Not until state law demanded it did formal education become available to all children in Wooster.

During 1853 and 1854, four new ward schools were constructed. The first ward school was on South Buckeye Street, the second was on the northwest corner of North and Bever streets, the third was on the southwest corner of Walnut and Larwill streets, and the fourth ward school was on South Walnut Street at the site of the Wayne Center for the Arts.

Each of these buildings housed grades one-eight and functioned independently for several years, until being united under the direction of John Brinkerhoff, who remained superintendent until 1870.

In 1864 a parochial school was built on South Market Street, opposite what is today the Wooster Brush Co. The first classes, with 90 pupils, began in the spring of 1865, just after the close of the Civil War.

Before 1867, students who wanted to attend high school had to take a test called the Boxwell Examination. If they passed this test, they could enroll in a high school in one of the neighboring towns, such as Smithville or Plain Township. If they did not pass this exam, most went to work on the family farm or helped with the family business.

In 1867 citizens voluntarily taxed themselves to raise funds to construct the community’s own high school. It was one of the town’s most progressive education measures to date. Construction was begun in 1868 on the site of what is today Cornerstone Elementary School, and the building was finished in 1870.

The school cost $113,000 and was a great source of pride to the city, which had vowed to build “the best school-house in the state.”

Source: “Wooster in 1876″ by The College of Wooster.

Reporter Paul Locher can be reached at 330-682-2055 or e-mail plocher@the-daily-record.com.

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