NONPROFIT RECEIVES DONATION FROM BELMONT COLLEGE — Students attending Belmont College’s Building Preservation and Restoration program donated their time and talents to make and install 11 windows at the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum July 14-15. Those helping included, from left, Iris Rogers, instructor Derrick Smith, Maggie Ellis and Amanda Layshock. Jack Scrivener assisted with the project. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — A tiny, red-brick structure sits along a winding road in Pleasant Hill.

Passers-by may not even take notice of the small structure that was built off of state Route 213.

Those drivers who do take notice, well, they probably don’t even think about what lies inside those four walls.

But they should.

Because that little building holds more than 15 decades worth of memories.

A LABOR OF LOVE — Derrick Smith, instructor of the Belmont College Building Preservation and Restoration program. He, along with a handful of students, spent a week measuring, creating, building and installing 11 overly-large, single-paned storm windows for the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum. This is the second time the school has donated its time and resources to help the nonprofit agency. -- Contributed

It contains materials and supplies once used to teach some of our great-great-great-grandparents.

It signifies the way life used to be long before the world got busy, busy creating technology, busy building skyscrapers and busy with being busy.

Within that small, easy-to-miss structure, lies a classroom, a schoolhouse and a museum, a part of this county’s history.

The Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum was constructed in 1836.

Its purpose was to be a church, a place where the local families could gather and pray.

HELPING HAND –– Jack Scrivener was among those who spent a week measuring, creating, building and installing 11 overly-large, single-paned storm windows for the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum. This is the second time the school has donated its time and resources to help the nonprofit agency. -- Contributed

Around 1880, the little church was transformed into a one-room schoolhouse, a place where all of the area’s children could receive an education within its single space.

The younger children would sit in the front, as they were known as abecedarians because they learned their ABCs, while the older students remained in the back of the room.

But all were taught by the same teacher, not much older than they were.

Students continued to learn inside the schoolhouse until 1952.

It was later turned into a home, housing a few local families up until the late 1970s.

NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR — The current state of the Pleasant Hill School House Historical Museum on state Route 213 in Steubenville is under construction, with several projects being done by Josh Vein Construction of Toronto. Vein and his crew are donating their time and materials to help the nonprofit. -- Contributed

And then … it was empty.

In 1976, an attempt was made to restore the building. That attempt failed.

Another attempt was made in 1986; again, to no avail.

Decades passed. And then, in 2008, a third try at restoring the building was made.

Only this time, the request was approved. And work began.

That one-room schoolhouse would become a museum, housing many of the materials once used to teach students during the late 1800s to the early 1900s — charts, McGuffy Readers made in 1908, old schoolbooks and even the original bell that could be heard for up to a mile away to call children to school, now lied within the walls of that brick building.

But time takes its toll on buildings, especially this one.

Issues arise. Repairs need to be made.

But work is not cheap.

Expenses can prove costly, especially for structures as old as this particular one.

Those who serve on the museum’s board rely solely on donations in order to keep the school house operating.

Although updates and repairs have been made in the past, many of the building’s features still need love and attention, board members explained.

Vice President David Nicholson stated work repairs have been needed at the schoolhouse for awhile, including, mortar joint and brick repair, painting, fixing 20 of the original ceiling tiles, flashing work to the chimney, installing vents to prevent paint from bubbling and installing an exhaust fan in the back of the building to remove attic heat.

Nicholson said the board was finally able to hire Josh Vein Contracting of Toronto to fix several of the issues.

Vein is currently working on the project, donating his time.

The company is sealing and fixing the building from the top, down, to help with electrical bills and to assist with keeping the museum’s artifacts safe.

The contracting company will be working during the next couple of weeks, according to board President Ryan Finney, who exclaimed new flags have been installed and scraping has been done to the ceiling for repairing original tiles.

The cost of repairs is expected to be several thousand dollars, Nicholson added, saying the windows were also in need of repair due to electricity costs, which have proved expensive.

The board was receiving electric bills totaling $300 per month when the room was being kept at 55 degrees.

Finney stated Lowe’s and M&M Hardware in Steubenville donated some of the supplies toward the project.

Finney explained students in the Belmont College’s Building Preservation and Restoration Program made overly-large, single pane storm windows for the school house.

There were 11 windows — nine being full-size windows and two being half windows placed above doors — that were made by students.

Led by instructor Derrick Smith, the students who assisted in making and installing the windows on July 14-15 included: Jack Scrivener of Annapolis, Md., Amanda Layshock of Newton Falls, Maggie Ellis of Bethesda and Iris Rogers of Bellaire.

Finney noted how impressed everyone was that it only took one week for Belmont to complete the entire window project.

Measuring was done on July 7 and installation was completed July 15.

Belmont previously helped schoolhouse officials with renovations years ago, Finney recalled. He remembered the time when all of the windows at the building were removed and restored in 2009 — soon after it was acquired.

Nicholson and Finney said they wanted to express their appreciation on behalf of the board and those who volunteer at the museum, to Smith and the students at Belmont College and its restoration program.

The men stated Belmont’s volunteering and donating their time, their attention and their talents to this project is greatly appreciated and will be remembered. The project was an opportunity for Belmont students to get to see firsthand what it is like to help out a nonprofit agency in need.

“Our students gain great experience and we get to help community organizations reduce their restoration costs,” Smith stated.

That’s one of the reasons why he does what he does.

“Preserving history so future generations can enjoy and learn from the past, is why we do this work,” Finney stated.

“Having Belmont College donate their time and work to help us keep our items in the museum safe, is appreciated,” Finney concluded. “We want to invite the community to come and see all that we have to offer.”

Anyone who would like to help the museum by making a donation can contact Finney at (740) 381-0592. The museum holds open houses and allows tours for schools and community groups. Contact Finney for information.

Perhaps the next time we pass by that tiny schoolhouse at 3125 state Route 213, we should all pay a little closer attention to what lies inside.