Shephepdstown Public School, Jefferson County, West Virginia This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any ofher use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm Source: History of Education in West Virginia Prepared under the direction of the State Superintendent of Free Schools 1904, Charleston: The Tribune Printing Company, 1904 pg. 184 -185 Shephepdstown Public School BY CHAS. T. SMOOTZ, PRINCIPAL Jefferson County was the first county in the State to establish the Free School System, and Shepherdstown one of the first to introduce schools. About 1846 or 1847 the town was divided into two districts, hnown as Shepherd and Potomac, and a school was located in each. The schools were continued under this system until 1881. At this time the patrons decided to establish a Graded School. Through ths efforts of Hon. Geo. M. Beltzhoover, who was authorized by the Board of Education of the two districts, the old stone building, which had been used as a jail, while the County Seat was located here, was purchased from the county. The building was remodeled, fitted up and the Graded School opened in the fall of 1881, with four teachers. This building continued to be used until 1900. The enrollment increasing from year to year, the present "board desided to erect a new and more commodious building. The present building is large and commodious, containing ten rooms and fitted with all modern improvements.