The Little Red Schoolhouse

Also known as Longwoods Elementary School and Germantown Consolidated School, the Little Red Schoolhouse was one of 43 one-room schoolhouses in Talbot County in 1865, and remained in use until 1967.

In its early years, the school was heated using a pot-bellied stove that was lit and maintained by the teacher. First through seventh grades were taught with young students in the front and older students in the back of the classroom.

The curriculum included reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and geography. Slates, small chalkboards, were used instead of paper, which was prohibitively costly.

Initially, candles and natural sunlight were used to illuminate the classroom, but electric light was added in 1936.

Students were responsible for bringing their own lunches to school. Separate outhouses were provided for their use—one for boys and one for girls, but these were replaced by indoor plumbing in 1951.

After the school closed in 1967, the Talbot County Historical Society restored the schoolhouse to its original condition, and the outhouses were put back. The electric lights were also removed.