Fairview #67 School, Roosevelt / Hoyt School,
Hoyt:
These two
schools tell very different stories from Douglass High School,
in very different locations, but face similar challenges. As communities and populations shifted, and
school districts consolidated, these schools ceased to serve their original
purposes, but continue to hold special significance to their communities.
Hoyt School, Hoyt:
This
four-room schoolhouse was built between 1934 and 1940 of native sandstone for
the residents of Hoyt, which was established around 1890. A native stone rock
wall surrounds the school yard. The building housed school children until the
1960’s when the school was consolidated into the Stigler district. After that,
the location housed a community center and was used as a voting site for many
years, before being put up for auction by the city in 1984. It is now privately
owned by a family within the community that fondly remembers attending the Hoyt School.
Though it is privately owned, and has seen various uses over the years, much of
the interior is unchanged from its days as a schoolhouse; there is still a
small stage with the original hand painted curtain hanging and chalkboards
cover some of the walls. There has been substantial water damage to the roof,
now sagging badly in places. The flooring in some rooms is destroyed, and
several windows are in need of repair or replacement.
Fairview #67, Roosevelt:
Built in
1903, this school was a vibrant place of learning for the local children before
the time of statehood east of Roosevelt,
Oklahoma. It was a one-room
schoolhouse for pioneer children, in District #67 of the territories. The land
for the schoolhouse was sold to the district for $1 by the landowners, allowing
the small wood frame structure to be built. It remained a one-room schoolhouse
until 1916, when another room was added onto the structure. The school
schedules varied with farmers’ needs (at times the children were needed at home
to help harvest and plant). School children recited Shakespeare and
participated in a literary society, in which students would produce plays,
signing recitals, and other programs; there were also regular spelling bees for
the children. The school acted as a community center, with holiday dinners
served and entertainment furnished by students and teachers for members of the
community. The building was moved from its original location in 1942 to within
the city limits of Roosevelt, when the Fairview District #67 was consolidated
to the Roosevelt and Cooperton districts.
This
building has been unoccupied for many years and is falling into disrepair, but
still stands as a testament to Oklahoma culture, education, and community. It has been determined eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places, but momentum for getting the structure
listed and preserved is needed.
