The "The School On Snake Hill Road" Story

An Amish one-room school house on Snake Hill Road.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving the back roads of Lancaster County looking for a good place to buy sweet corn.  Not too many farmers sell corn this early in the season, but I was hoping to get a dozen or two to make chicken corn soup for supper tonight.  Driving along Snake Hill Road in Manheim Township when I passed this neat white masonry one-room school house along the side of the road.  Pulled the car off the road and walked toward the school house.  The hinged gate wasn't locked so I opened it and walked toward the building.  

The toilet facilities for the school.

Off to my left were two outhouses that were used by the girls, boys and teacher for bathroom facilities.  There were neither lights or heat in either one of them.  On top of the one-room school stood a school bell.  I looked through the window on the porch and saw dozens of wooden desks in neat straight rows.  The desk tops had a groove for the student's writing utensil as well as an ink well.  

Photo taken through the school door of the school interior.

Under each desk was a shelf for books.  Across the front of the room was a chalk board which had charts showing printed as well as cursive letters of the alphabet.  Most everything was the same as in any school in the United States except for the fact that there was a large stove with a metal pipe coming from the top of it to a  opening in the top of the wall in the front of the room.  The stove would supply the heat for the school room which had no electricity.  Along the wall were hooks for the children to hang their jackets and hats on during the school day.  This building was known as the Snake Hill School and was for students in grades 1 thru 8; Amish students.  Back in the early 1950's there was pressure from the federal government to consolidate elementary and high schools.  This was a threat to the Amish, since they didn't want their children taught in local schools where they would be exposed to values such as individualism, evolution, materialism, secularism and competitiveness, since this would undermine the Amish lifestyle.  It was feared that if Amish children developed critical thinking they would question the Amish traditions and their church and might eventually leave the farms and Amish communities forever.  It was during this time period in our history that many Amish parents were jailed for refusing to send their children to these consolidated schools.  Eventually they decided to open their own schools, thus the more than 150 one-room school houses that line the country roads in Lancaster County.  Their schools were built to educate children from grades 1 to 8, but the law in Pennsylvania said they had to go to school until age 15 so the majority of the children had to go to public school for grade 9.  It was finally worked out with public officials that the Amish would go to grade 8 and then go to an Amish Vocational Program.  This class was held for three hours a week in an Amish home with an Amish teacher instructing the children in practical vocational skills.  On May 15, 1972 this program was given full legal status by the United States Supreme Court which essentially required Amish to go to school until eight grade.  There is no transportation to and from school since the Amish don't drive cars or trucks so enough schools were built so the children could all walk or ride their bike or scooter to school.  The teachers are mostly Amish women who have graduated from Amish schools themselves and who are committed to Amish values.  The Amish curriculum consists of reading, writing, basic mathematics and geography.  Both German and English are taught.  They do have school prayer, but religion is considered too sacred to be taught in school.  Most all the schools I have seen in the county also have a playground with a swing set and perhaps a see-saw and a place to play ball.  Neat to pass by during recess and see all the children playing in the school yard with the children wearing their traditional Amish clothing.  Most usually sport bare feet during much of the school year.  

This is a photo of the West Nickel Mines Amish School
taken before the tragedy and subsequent demolition.

One of the most famous Amish schools in Lancaster County was the West Nickel Mines Amish School where on October 2, 2006 a mentally disturbed male burst into the building and shot 10 Amish girls ages 6-13, killing 5 of them before he took his own life.  This school was torn down shortly after and has been rebuilt a short distance away.  In place of the building now stand 5 trees in memory of the five girls killed that terrible day.  If you ever have a chance to travel the beautiful farmland around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, you more than likely will encounter a one-room school on your journey.  Enjoy your encounter and take a moment to reflect on what it may be have been like to have gone to a school such as this as a child.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.