Singers Glen was one of the educational centers of western Linville District and the location of the first consolidated high school in Linville District. The first school, a one-room frame building, was constructed in 1882. It was located near the center of the village on what is now Route 613. The school was located (south-side) next to what is now the Donovan United Methodist Church. Even though the building was constructed in 1882, the land was not deeded to the Linville District school trustees until September 6, 1890, when a deed was recorded from David M. Hollar and wife.

(On June 30, 1956, Rev. Troy & Elizabeth Brady purchased the school building (which had been converted into a house and additions had been added) for $2500 from the church, which had wanted the property for additional parking. The building was then relocated (for $1000) less than a tenth of a mile away NE from the original location. This was to be where Rev. Brady and his wife would retire for the next 33 years.

However, due to their increasing years, they finally made the difficult, heartbreaking decision to sell it, after those memorable thirty-three years, and retired to Sharpes, Florida, to be closer to their family. It was purchased by Glenn and Kathy Dove on August 17, 1989.)

Addendum - When Larry Huffman emailed me to grant my request to use this material, he also had this to say:
"Thanks for sending the information from your grandparents. They were very special residents  of the Glen and  were also a very special members of Donovan Memorial church. You can certainly reference the information on the County schools website. I recall that the pictures were first featured in the program for the first Singers Glen Music and  Heritage  festival back in 1978 and then later included on the website when it was created in the mid-1990s."

Larry    (Rockingham County School District Member)

In 1892, the school population had grown to a point where a two-room school was constructed a short distance east of the original school on what was known as "Pig Alley"---named because a local landowner drove his pigs down this road in the 19th century.

1923

  This school served the community until it was closed in 1973 and the students sent to Mt. Clinton and Linville-Edom. The school offered a two year high school program until 1934 when it offered a four-year high school program. The high school at Singers Glen was discontinued in 1942.

Addendum - "When I lived there during the 70's, the school wasn't operational as a school anymore. I attended high school in Broadway, taking the one and a half hour bus ride each way. The school building was only used for community affairs, such the 4-H club, Boy Scouts and various other local functions. We used to have our BSA meetings there on Monday nights, then play basketball after the meetings. Looking at the picture above, the very highest roof was the gym area. On the backside (out of view) was another wing that branched off to the east with more classrooms. Some of my fellow neighbors and friends were Steve & Richard Phillips (Their father was a Baptist Minister at another church, not located in Singers Glen, but nearby). My other friends were Robert "Robbie" Roadcap, Richard Seivers and Sonny (can't remember his last name).

"Here is a picture of the Post Office - General Store (taken much earlier) where I would wait for the schoolbus. When you walked thru the front door, the Post Office section (cubicle) was to your immediate right, taking up the front corner. Along the right side was the wooden sales counter that ran the length of the store. It was a very typical country style general store & post office, ran by a widow. (Can't remember her name right off hand - I think it was Mrs. Dove) In my time, there were tall trees at the front that provided really nice shade in the summer. This building sat at the corner of the road where our house was. Directly across the street from the Post Office was the apple-packing plant. The Phillips lived in the house next door to the plant.

"At the very top of the hill lived two old maid sisters who had a cow. Every evening after supper, I would walk up the hill to get a quart of fresh milk. The little metal milk can (similar to the picture below - smallest can on right) I carried was the same one that my father, Howard and my uncle, Marion, used when they were going to fetch the milk." RMB

Return to RECLAIMED MEMORIES

Teachers known to have taught at Singers Glen are:

1902-03 W. O. Mowbray, Beula Bolen, Carrie Dyche

1903-04 C. E. Armentrout, W. O. Mowbray, Beula Bolen, Carrie Dyche

1904-05 C. E. Armentrout, W. O. Beasley, W. O. Mowbray, Ella Heatwole

1905-06 C. E. Armentrout, W. O. Mowbray, Mary Rice, Ella Heatwole

1906-09 (unknown)

1909-11 (two sessions) E. R. Shank, A. K. McMullen, Cora Robinson, Edna Ritchie

1911-12 E. R. Shank, A. K. McMullen, Maud Swank, Edna Ritchie

1912-13 J. P. Will, Mary Gochenour, Ella Henton, Ula B. Clore

1913-14 George Saufley, Pauline Aldhizer, Mary Gochenour, Ula B. Clore

1914-15 D. H. Hoover, Ella Henton, Nellie Blankenbaker, Ula B. Clore

1915-16 M. S. Harcum, Nellie Blankenbaker, Ella Henton, Irma Burtner

1916-17 M. S. Harcum, Nellie Blankenbaker, Lucy Blankenbaker, Irma Burtner

1917-18 M. S. Harcum, W. O. Mowbray, M. Louise Harcum, Irma Burtner

1918-19 C. E. Barglebaugh, W. O. Mowbray, Ruth Bowman, Linnie L. Whetzel

1919-20 E. R. Shank, W. O. Mowbray, Mary Grove, Linnie L. Whetzel

1920-21 A. E. Tampkin, W. O. Mowbray, Mary Cole, Linnie L. Whetzel

1921-22 Willie Munger, W. O. Mowbray, Lillian Moore, Linnie L. Whetzel

1922-24 (two sessions) Michael Landis, W. O. Mowbray, Lillian Moore, Linnie L. Whetzel

1924-25 Paul G. Kline, Valley May, W. O. Mowbray, Lillian Moore, Linnie L. Whetzel

1925-26 Paul G. Kline, Valley May, W. O. Mowbray, Lillian Moore, Ruth Swank

1926-27 Justice S. Kiser, W. O. Mowbray, Lessie L. Hoover, Lillian Moore, Ruth Swank

1927-28 Justice S. Kiser, W. O. Mowbray, Valley May, Lillian Moore, Ruth Swank

1928-29 Ralph C. Myers, W. O. Mowbray, Valley May Kline, Lois Moore, Naomi Kiser, Ruth Swank

1929-30 Ralph G. Myers, Erma Cline, Valley May Kline, Lois Moore, Ruth Swank

1930-31 Howard O. Lanham, Nellie Mundy, Valley May Kline, Lois Moore, Ruth Swank

1931-32 Howard O. Lanham, Edna Wampler, Elaine Neff, Rebecca Spitzer, Ruth Swank

1932-34 (two sessions) Howard O. Lanham, Mercye Tucker, Elaine Neff, Rebecca Spitzer, Ruth Swank

1934-35 Howard O. Lanham, Melvin Fitzwater, Mercye Tucker, Elaine Neff, Rebecca Spitzer, Ruth Swank

1935-36 Howard O. Lanham, Melvin Fitzwater, Avis Mundy, Mercye Tucker, Elaine Neff, Rebecca Spitzer, Rachel Funk, Ruth Swank

1936-37 Howard O. Lanham, Melvin Fitzwater, Avis Mundy, Mercye Tucker, Thelma W. Sites, Rebecca Spitzer, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1937-39 (two sessions) Howard O. Lanham, Melvin Fitzwater,Thelma W. Sites, Mercye Tucker, Bessie W. Will, Rebecca Spitzer, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1939-40 Howard O. Lanham, J. Russell Swank, Thelma W. Sites, Elaine N. Brewer, Bessie W. Will, Rebecca Spitzer, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1940-41 Howard O. Lanham, Elaine N. Brewer, Rebecca Spitzer, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1941-42 Howard O. Lanham, Elaine N. Brewer, June Fries, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1942-43 Mercye Tucker, J. Galen Wampler, June Fries, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1943-45 (two sessions) Mercye Tucker, Ruth Orendorf, Virginia Wampler, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1945-46 Mercye Tucker, Virginia Wampler, Frances S. Diehl, Ruth Swank

1946-49 (three sessions) Mercye Tucker, Virginia Wampler, Effie Wampler, Ruth Swank

1949-53 (four sessions) Mercye Tucker, Virginia Wampler, Frances D. Miller, Ruth Swank

1953-54 Mercye Tucker, Virginia Wampler, Edna Turner, Ruth Swank

1954-56 (two sessions) Mercye Tucker, Virginia Wampler, Edna Turner, Gail Trissel, Ruth Swank

1956-57 Charles W. Blair, Mercye Tucker, Eleanor Good, Fern Trissel, Ruth Swank

1957-58 Stanley D. Wine, Mercye Tucker, Mabel Horst, Fern Trissel, Ruth Swank

1958-59 John Zigler, Mercye Tucker, Mabel Horst, Fern Trissel, Ruth Swank

1959-60 John Zigler, Mabel Horst, Fern Trissel, Virginia S. Rolston, Shelby Burruss, Ruth Swank

1960-61 John Zigler, Lois Brubacker, Fern Trissel, Virginia S. Rolston, Nancy Augsburger, Ruth Swank

1961-62 John Zigler, Nancy Augsburger, Erma H. Brunk, Carolyn Jefferies, Ruth Swank

1962-63 John Zigler,Erma H. Brunk, Elizabeth Harnsbarger, Mary L. Newcomer, Ruth Swank

1963-64 C. Winston Wenger, Dorothy Lawson, Barbara Riffey, Mary L. Newcomer, Erma H, Brunk, Ruth Swank

1964-65 John Honeycutt, Barbara Honeycutt, Gussie T. Custer, Ruth Swank

1965-66 John Honeycutt, Barbara Honeycutt, Gussie Custer, Donna Bess

1966-67 John Honeycutt, Barbara Honeycutt, Gussie Custer, Donna Bess, Beverly Wood

1967-68 Charles W. Rodeffer, Frances F. May, Sadie M. Showalter, Lois M, Secrist, Beverly Wood

1968-69 Charles W. Rodeffer, Frances F. May, Jewel H. Shenk, Glen Steiner, Beverly Wood

1969-70 Ralph Warner, Jacqueline Foley, Glen Steiner, Jewel Shenk, Frances F. May, Beverly Wood

1970-71 Ralph Warner, Walter F. Hinz, Frances F. May, Jewel Shenk, Jacqueline Foley Puffenbarger, Beverly Wood

1971-73 (two sessions) Ralph Warner, Walter F. Hinz, Frances May, Jewel Shenk, Beverly Wood

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

The Rockingham County School History Project is currently seeking information on the schools of the county. We are looking for pictures, yearbooks and memorabilia for any of the county schools either for donation to our archives or for loan to copy. If you have such material, please contact Larry Huffman (day) 540-433-7819, (night) 540-833-5483 or Dale MacAllister (day) 540-896-8961, (night) 540-833-4562.