Located near the City Gates, the Oldest Wooden 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. There is an old pecan tree that has been there for 250 years – a magnificent site. 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 visitors to see. In the schoolhouse, related artifacts and copies of books that pupils studied are exhibited.
Located near the City Gates, the Oldest Wooden 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. There is an old pecan tree that has been there for 250 years – a magnificent site. 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 visitors to see. In the schoolhouse, related artifacts and copies of books that pupils studied are exhibited.
ORIGINAL WOODEN HOUSE: Records dating to 1740, during the 1st Spanish Period
MINORCAN HOMESTED: Established in 1770s by Juan Genoply during the British Occupation
SCHOOL HOUSE: Genoply family transforms living quarters to a classroom and begins teaching Minorcan children in the 1800s, during the 2nd Spanish Period
LAST CLASS: Graduated in 1864
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse
Before the tiny cedar and cypress house, tucked in among the eclectic shops and restaurants of Saint George Street, was called the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse it was the Genopoly House. An interesting story surrounds its owner, Minorcan immigrant, Juan Genopoly, a carpenter from Mani, Greece.
More Info
