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At the time the
Higginsport school was constructed in 1880, it was "second
to none in the county". Records indicate that the total
cost was approximately $18,000, including furnishings. Attendance
in 1881 was 250 students, all white (the entire population of
Higginsport today is 291). Six teachers were employed when the
school first opened. School for the colored children was held
in a rented building elsewhere in town, with one teacher. |
The following account of the history of the Higginsport schools
appeared in the
History of Brown County published in 1880 :
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For
many years, Higginsport has formed a special school district.
The first schoolhouse was a log cabin, built about 1807. Another
school was held about 1822 in Robert Higgins' warehouse, which
stood just east of Lot No. 1 of the present town. [The River long-ago claimed
the low-lying land upon which the old Higgins warehouse stood
- the location of the warehouse/school was just south of the
Ballfield next to Our Place Restaurant] The
growth of the village warranted the erection of a log schoolhouse
on the public square in 1828, which also served for a number
of years as a meeting house. A school was taught once or twice
in the currying room of a tannery which stood on the corner of
Samuel Waterfield's lot.
As nearly as can be ascertained,
a brick building was erected in 1845, on lot No. 89. [The same location as
the present building]. The
school here was graded, and contained four departments. On May
6, 1845, the sub-district was made a special village district.
As early as 1868, active measures were taken looking to the erection
of a new building, owing to the insecurity of the old brick schoolhouse
and its lack of room, but nothing was accomplished until the
spring of 1880, when an election held for the purpose resulted
in favoring the erection of a $15,000 school house. The house,
now completed, has cost about $18,00. It is modeled after the
school building of Maysville, KY, but is a much handsomer and
more commodius structure. The village now has a schoolhouse second
to none in the county.
It is constructed of brick, is 63x66 feet in size, two stories
high, contains six rooms each 33x26 feet and 13 feet high. On
the second floor is also a lecture hall, 56x33 feet, with a sixteen
foot ceiling. In the corner-stone was deposited a copy of each
newspaper published in the county, a brief sketch of the schools
from an early date, coins, portraits of county officials and
Presidents of the Untied States. |
The Higginsport
school was expanded in 1930 by the addition of a gymnasium, and
again in 1932 when a cafeteria was constructed and the luxury
of inside toilets added. In 1952 the Higginsport School was consolidated
into what is now the Rpley-Union-Lewis-Huntington School district.
Elementary students continued going to the Higginsport school
until 1987, when the district closed the school and conveyed
ownership of the building to the village of Higginsport for $1.00.
Initially, the school gym was used for dances, wedding receptions,
etc., but the high cost of keeping it heated in winter forced
the village to close the doors once again.
For years, the grand
old building stood vacant, being used principally for storage.
With the usual budget constraints faced by a small village, no
public funds were available to heat or to maintain the building,
and it deteriorated rapidly, not only from the elements, but
also falling victim to vandalism. After years of neglect, and
no money to undertake the costly repairs needed, consideration
was being given to tearing the building down. Though structurally
sound, the badly leaking roof resulted in substantial water damage
to the interior of the building, and of course, heat (or rather
lack thereof) continues to be a big problem.
Following the 1997 flood, when the school provided emergency
shelter to town residents fleeing the flood waters, the efforts
of the Higginsport Community Improvement Group to save the school
received more attention and support. The daunting task of applying
for and receiving status as a Historical Site was completed in
less than a year, and in 1999 the School was awarded status as
a State Historical Building. A grant was obtained to defray the
majority of the cost of a new roof for the building. The Higginsport
school is currently vacant, and in need of further restoration
to make it usable. |
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