The oldest schoolhouse in the United States dates back to the year 1716 when it was the homestead belonging to Juan Genoply. The house did appear on the tax rolls in the year 1716 and is said to have existed long before then. The house was constructed of red cedar wood and cypress. Wooden pegs were used to keep the timbers in place. Everything was built by hand including the nails. This is as old fashioned as your going to get. When this was a living quarters it had no running water, electricity, kitchen, or privy. The drinking water had to be drawn from the well. The kitchen was housed in a separate quarters on the grounds this was too reduce the risk from fire and eliminate excess heat since the Florida summers are long and hot. The privy was later dug out away from the building with a enclosure for privacy.

The house was just a single room and Juan Genoply was not married so it was just enough to suit his needs. Eventually he did get married and the house was made into a school. So they made there living quarters upstairs for his family and used the downstairs as the classroom. In 1788 the school house was the first co-ed school educating girls and boys together.

Today if you were to visit the school house you would see various figures dressed during that time period attire. The Animatronic figures of children and the school master tell you about themselves and a typical school day. There are textbooks used by students, school artifacts, cooking utensils of that time period.  If you visit here you get a free honorary diploma for your visit.

Behind the school house there is a garden where the kitchen resides, privy and well where water was drawn. There is also a 250 year old pecan tree which existed even when school children attended class. The garden has many tropic plants like bird of paradise and hibiscus. One could sit on a bench and enjoy the inspiration this historical place represents.

There is also a giant chain that wraps around the school house and is tied to an anchor. This was added in 1937 when a hurricane threatened St. Augustine so they added it to secure the wooden school house and prevent it from being damaged.

Rumors of the old school house being haunted may be very true. As I recall one person photography a child looking out the window although it could be one of the Animatronic figures in the window its hard to say. But the little school house has an eerie sense to it the type where you can look up into the upper second story window and feel totally watched.

I mean not only is it the oldest school house in the nation it is perhaps the most haunted as it sits in the heart of St. Augustine. We are really happy that we were able to bring you an investigation here.

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Rick-AngelOfThyNight