Oldest Wooden School House

Located near the City Gates, The Old School House is a surviving expression of another time. Built over 200 years ago, while Florida was under the rule of Imperial Spain, it was constructed of red cedar and cypress and put together with wooden pegs and handmade nails. The schoolmaster and his wife lived upstairs, above the small classroom. Their kitchen was separated from the main building, because of the threat of fire and to spare the house of any excess heat during the long summers. Several of the cooking utensils used in those days are displayed here for the visitor. In the schoolhouse, related artifacts and copies of the books the pupils studied from are exhibited. When you enter the small, one-room schoolhouse you are greeted by Disney-style animatronic figures dressed in period attire. Listen as the schoolmaster and the children tell you about themselves and describe a typical day in the classroom and items in it. Copies of the textbooks used by students, along with related school artifacts are on display in the schoolhouse along with several cooking utensils of the time. After touring the schoolhouse visitors may walk through the garden and see the kitchen, the privy and the well. Be sure to notice the old pecan tree. The tree has been authenticated to be at least 250 years old and still bears nuts. The patio and grounds are a typical green garden with tropical plants such as hibiscus and bird-of-paradise, including one not-so-typical white bird-of-paradise. Plenty of shade trees and comfortable benches offer a cozy spot for a moment of rest and reflection.