Vocational Agriculture Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Vocational Agriculture Building
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1001 E. Howe St., Bunnell, Florida |
|---|---|
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1938 |
| Architect | U. S. Office of Education and Florida State Board of Public Instruction |
| Architectural style | Masonry Vernacular |
| MPS | Florida's New Deal Resources MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000058 |
| Added to NRHP | February 21, 2007 |
The Vocational Agriculture Building is also known as the Little Red School House. It was built in 1938 by the Works Projects Administration (WPA). This was a special government program during the Great Depression. The building is located at 1001 E. Howe St. in Bunnell, Florida, United States.
Even though it looks like a schoolhouse, it was never a regular school. It was used by Bunnell High School's agriculture department. It also housed the local chapter of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). Today, this group is called the National FFA Organization. The building has two large rooms and a smaller storage room, not just one.
This building is very special because it is one of only three structures in Flagler County built with money from the New Deal. The New Deal was a series of programs from the U.S. government to help the country recover from the Great Depression. The other two buildings are the Bunnell Coquina City Hall and the Flagler County Jail (WPA-Built). On February 21, 2007, the Vocational Agriculture Building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.
Contents
Building History: The WPA Project
In November 1936, the Flagler County School Board met to plan better public schools. They talked with G. A. Duncan from the Florida State Planning Board. The school board asked Zachary D. Holland for help. He was the local supervisor for the Works Projects Administration (WPA).
The WPA agreed to pay for most of the building's cost. They would provide the workers, about 80% of the total cost. The school board paid for the building materials. In January 1938, they made a list of materials needed. This included bricks, cement, and wood. A local store, Johnsons Incorporated, won the bid to supply these materials.
Construction started in January 1938. WPA supervisor Holland expected it to be finished by mid-1938. He completed the building in July 1938. The total cost was $5,091.22. The school board paid $1,474.22 of this amount.
The high school campus had four buildings back then. There was the main brick high school, this vocational agriculture building, a small wooden building for buses, and a small storage building.
FFA Training: Learning About Agriculture
The Vocational Agriculture Department and the local FFA chapter started using the building in the 1938–1939 school year. Joe Norfleet was their leader. Students could choose to take the Smith-Hughes Vocational Agriculture course.
Students met in the building every day. They learned about farming and planting methods in the classroom. They also worked on projects in the shop area. Sometimes, they traveled to nearby farms to plant and harvest crops. Between 1938 and 1942, students raised money for exciting trips. They visited Havana, Cuba, the World's Fair in New York City, Washington, D.C., and the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
In 1940, the Bunnell FFA chapter achieved the highest rank in Florida. Judges looked at how well students helped their community. They also checked their teamwork, earnings from farm projects, and fun activities.
From Classroom to Storage: A New Purpose
The building was used for agriculture training and FFA activities until 1970. That year, a fire badly damaged the main high school building. After much discussion, the high school was rebuilt at a new location. Bunnell Elementary School then moved to the old high school campus.
The old high school building was torn down. Its bricks were even saved to be sold again. However, the former vocational agriculture building was left untouched. As the new elementary school was built, the agriculture building became a storage facility. Over time, it was boarded up and not taken care of.
Restoring History: The Living Museum
In 1986, three teachers decided to save the building. Their names were Nell Brown, Betty Latham, and Diane Marquis. They wanted to restore it as a museum called the Little Red Schoolhouse. The Flagler County School Board approved their idea.
The teachers started raising money with a group called "Friends of the Little Red Schoolhouse." Brown and Latham later moved to a new school. Diane Marquis continued the effort to save the building. She got help from other staff members like Richard DuPont, Nancy McFeeley, and Nancy Willis.
Marquis received donations from many groups. These included the Bunnell Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization and various women's clubs. School children also helped by making small models of the old school. They placed these models in local stores to collect money and spread awareness. In 1992, they received a $10,000 grant from the Florida Legislature.
On November 15, 1993, the building was officially opened. It was dedicated as the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum.
Museum Treasures: Living History Artifacts
Diane Marquis collected many items for the museum. These included a blackboard, old books, chairs, and desks. One special cabinet was made in 1942. It was donated by Rem Murray, a former student. He had made the furniture in the building as a school project.
Among the items you can see are original wooden school desks. There are also many old pictures and newspaper articles. You can find Native American artifacts and a 48-star U.S.A. flag. There is even an original letter from 1918 signed by Mary McLeod Bethune. She was the principal of a school for girls at that time.
