*** ONLINE AS OF AUGUST 5, 2011 ***
    



Sankey-Kerr School - Harbor Bridge PA

Text Coming Soon!


In about 1860 a log cabin schoolhouse was constructed along the Old Youngstown Road just south of the Harbor Bridge area. It was erected on property that once belonged to David Sankey, known as the “father of Lawrence County.” It was originally known as the Sankey School, but later as the Shoaf School and then the Kerr School. At some point, possibly in the early 1880’s, that log cabin was replaced with a one-room wooden schoolhouse (shown above). The new schoolhouse served the local community until it fell into a severe state of deterioration. The building was closed for good in June 1917 as the new Harbor School was opened nearby in the coming fall. (1909) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


Class photo of the Kerr School. (c1910) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


Class photo of the Kerr School. (c1911) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


An old class photo taken in front of the Kerr School. (1909) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


Class photo dated November 28, 1910. The teacher show here – and in most of these class photos – is Miss Elda M. Vance (1882-1968), a longtime teacher in the Kerr and other local schools. (1910) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


Kerr School class photo dated September 26, 1912. (1912) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


A class photo taken in January 1917. The aging school was closed about five months later and razed soon after. (1917) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size


The former students and faculty members of the old Sankey-Kerr School held an annual reunion beginning in 1935. This photo shows the gathering of the 4th annual reunion held on Thursday, August 17, 1939, at the Harbor Presbyterian Church. The Reverend S. Y. Sankey of Plain Grove, a former student at the school, read a brief prayer before the 6pm dinner. Among the attendees were members of the Sankey, Kerr, Vance, Eckles, McElwee, Shoaf, Dinsmore, Matthews, Pinkerton, Barber, and Curtis families. (c1938) (Photo courtesy of Sherry Slater) Full Size

Comments

  1. The Curtis family lived in the house that my mom and dad currently reside in. Later on, the house next door was built by Bertha Barber’s (Curtis) husband and Jennie Curtis (Bertha’s mother) moved in with them. I have a picture of both houses from way back in the day.

Comment

Enter your comment below. Fields marked * are required. You must preview your comment before submitting it.