Woodstock Elementary School (Utah)
Encyclopedia
Woodstock Elementary School is a public primary school in Murray, Utah
, USA, serving students in grades PS-6. The school is part of the Granite School District
, with 75% of admission based on the locations of students' homes and 25% based on School Choice. Founded in 1906 as 26 District School (or Greebville School), it originally served both primary
and secondary
students. The school has relocated and its physical structure been replaced several times during its history, but has maintained the Woodstock name.
, Granite
, and Murray
. This consolidation was effected largely through the efforts of John W. Smith, the last superintendent of Salt Lake County.
In 1906 the newly formed districts needed 105 additional classrooms. The state would not bond
indicating it was the responsibility of each district, but the districts didn't have enough money. A company in New York, saw the potential here and bought the bonds to finance the new buildings. A new high school was built in each district..
Woodstock Elementary School was completed in 1906 at a cost of $18,913.00 on a three-acre plot of land that had been purchased for $1,600.00, making the total cost of $20,513.00. It was a two-story brick building with six large classrooms. At the front of each classroom, there was a door for the teacher. Near the rear of the classroom, there were two separate adjacent doors, one for the boys and one for the girls. A five-feet high wooden partition
extended out into the corridor
from between these two doorways, running along the corridor away from the outside wall nearly the length of the classroom. Thus, one section of the corridor provided the girls with their coat hall, and the other section provided the boys with theirs. Two rows of hooks were located on both the partition and the corridor wall for the students to hang their wraps on and during inclement weather they left their galoshes
on the floor next to the wall.
The building had hard wood floors and beautifully varnished scrollwork
and woodwork throughout the building. Twice each year, the floor was mopped by women hired specifically for this purpose using big long mops, boiling water, and strong soap. The first mopping was done before the beginning of the school year and the second during Christmas
break. After the mopping was completed each time, a coat of linseed oil
was applied to the floors. The floors were swept during the year by using a mixture of linseed oil and sawdust as a sweeping compound.
The school received its name from the novel Woodstock
, written by Sir Walter Scott in 1826. Its setting was a hunting lodge in Woodstock, England. The name was originally suggested by David W. Moffett, an educator in the Granite School District.
Woodstock Elementary would replace the old District 26 School which was situated on the west side of 1300 East Street, across from the present school. District 26 school was referred to as the Greebville School. Edward Erastus Howe was the first principal
of Woodstock from 1906 to 1916. He also taught in the 26 District School. Each Monday morning, E. E. Howe would go by horse and buggy down to the trolley line at 5900 South State Street to pick up Miss Cuddy, Miss Stone, and Miss Dorius. After school each Friday he would take them back to the trolley line so they could go to Salt Lake City. The teachers would board with some of the families during the weekdays. Miss Cuddy boarded with a Turner family. E. E. Howe and Miss Cuddy were married June 25, 1913.
Woodstock originally taught grades Kindergarten through Ninth Grade. Noted inventor Philo Farnsworth
taught ninth grade at the school in the 1920s. With the construction of Junior High Schools, Woodstock was organized to handle grades Kindergarten through Sixth.
In the early 2000s, the school was threatened with closure due to budgetary and enrollment concerns. The community rallied to keep the school alive, and the Granite School District Board voted to keep Woodstock open. In August of 2011, the fifth Woodstock school building opened it's doors. The two-story building features a gymnasium, cafeteria, two large group rooms, a spacious food service area, parking!, and tile floor patterns designed by the children of Woodstock.
Murray, Utah
Murray is a city situated on the Wasatch Front in the core of Salt Lake Valley in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for territorial governor Eli Murray, it is the state's fourteenth largest city. According to the 2010 census, Murray has approximately 46,746 residents.Murray is close to Salt Lake City,...
, USA, serving students in grades PS-6. The school is part of the Granite School District
Granite School District
The Granite School District spreads across central Salt Lake County, Utah, serving West Valley City, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, and Holladay; Kearns, Magna and Millcreek Township; and parts of West Jordan, Murray and Cottonwood Heights. About 70,000 students are enrolled in its programs ranging...
, with 75% of admission based on the locations of students' homes and 25% based on School Choice. Founded in 1906 as 26 District School (or Greebville School), it originally served both primary
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
and secondary
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
students. The school has relocated and its physical structure been replaced several times during its history, but has maintained the Woodstock name.
History
In 1905 the schools of Salt Lake County were consolidated into three districts: JordanJordan School District
Jordan School District was the largest of Utah school districts , It now employs 2,631 teachers and other licensed personnel who educate more than 48,000 students. An additional 2,610 employees provide support services for the system...
, Granite
Granite School District
The Granite School District spreads across central Salt Lake County, Utah, serving West Valley City, Taylorsville, South Salt Lake, and Holladay; Kearns, Magna and Millcreek Township; and parts of West Jordan, Murray and Cottonwood Heights. About 70,000 students are enrolled in its programs ranging...
, and Murray
Murray School District
The Murray City School District is a school district in Murray, Utah, United States. Although the district was formally established in 1906, the first known school building in the area was built in 1851...
. This consolidation was effected largely through the efforts of John W. Smith, the last superintendent of Salt Lake County.
In 1906 the newly formed districts needed 105 additional classrooms. The state would not bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
indicating it was the responsibility of each district, but the districts didn't have enough money. A company in New York, saw the potential here and bought the bonds to finance the new buildings. A new high school was built in each district..
Woodstock Elementary School was completed in 1906 at a cost of $18,913.00 on a three-acre plot of land that had been purchased for $1,600.00, making the total cost of $20,513.00. It was a two-story brick building with six large classrooms. At the front of each classroom, there was a door for the teacher. Near the rear of the classroom, there were two separate adjacent doors, one for the boys and one for the girls. A five-feet high wooden partition
Cubicle
Тhe cubicle, cubicle desk, office cubicle or cubicle workstation is a partially enclosed workspace, separated from neighboring workspaces by partitions that are usually tall...
extended out into the corridor
Hall
In architecture, a hall is fundamentally a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age, a mead hall was such a simple building and was the residence of a lord and his retainers...
from between these two doorways, running along the corridor away from the outside wall nearly the length of the classroom. Thus, one section of the corridor provided the girls with their coat hall, and the other section provided the boys with theirs. Two rows of hooks were located on both the partition and the corridor wall for the students to hang their wraps on and during inclement weather they left their galoshes
Galoshes
Galoshes , also known as boat shoes, dickersons, or overshoes, are a type of rubber boot that is slipped over shoes to keep them from getting muddy or wet. The word galoshes might be used interchangeably with boot, especially a rubberized boot...
on the floor next to the wall.
The building had hard wood floors and beautifully varnished scrollwork
Scrollwork
Scrollwork is an element of ornamentation and graphic design using a spiral. The name comes from by the supposed resemblance to the edge-on view of a rolled parchment scroll. "Scrollwork" is today mostly used in popular language for two-dimensional decorative flourishes and arabesques of all...
and woodwork throughout the building. Twice each year, the floor was mopped by women hired specifically for this purpose using big long mops, boiling water, and strong soap. The first mopping was done before the beginning of the school year and the second during Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
break. After the mopping was completed each time, a coat of linseed oil
Linseed oil
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is a clear to yellowish oil obtained from the dried ripe seeds of the flax plant . The oil is obtained by cold pressing, sometimes followed by solvent extraction...
was applied to the floors. The floors were swept during the year by using a mixture of linseed oil and sawdust as a sweeping compound.
The school received its name from the novel Woodstock
Woodstock (novel)
Woodstock, or The Cavalier. A Tale of the Year Sixteen Hundred and Fifty-one is a historical novel by Walter Scott. Set just after the English Civil War, it was inspired by the legend of the Good Devil of Woodstock, which in 1649 supposedly tormented parliamentary commissioners who had taken...
, written by Sir Walter Scott in 1826. Its setting was a hunting lodge in Woodstock, England. The name was originally suggested by David W. Moffett, an educator in the Granite School District.
Woodstock Elementary would replace the old District 26 School which was situated on the west side of 1300 East Street, across from the present school. District 26 school was referred to as the Greebville School. Edward Erastus Howe was the first principal
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of Woodstock from 1906 to 1916. He also taught in the 26 District School. Each Monday morning, E. E. Howe would go by horse and buggy down to the trolley line at 5900 South State Street to pick up Miss Cuddy, Miss Stone, and Miss Dorius. After school each Friday he would take them back to the trolley line so they could go to Salt Lake City. The teachers would board with some of the families during the weekdays. Miss Cuddy boarded with a Turner family. E. E. Howe and Miss Cuddy were married June 25, 1913.
Woodstock originally taught grades Kindergarten through Ninth Grade. Noted inventor Philo Farnsworth
Philo Farnsworth
Philo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
taught ninth grade at the school in the 1920s. With the construction of Junior High Schools, Woodstock was organized to handle grades Kindergarten through Sixth.
Current
Woodstock elementary would later acquire land from the Felix Delliskave family and other farmers to extend the playground to its current extent. In 1959, an addition was added to the original structure that included 12 classrooms and a multi-purpose room. The 1906 structure was deemed structurally unsound, and was torn down in the 1970s. The structure was replaced with a library, multipurpose room, and a few classrooms.In the early 2000s, the school was threatened with closure due to budgetary and enrollment concerns. The community rallied to keep the school alive, and the Granite School District Board voted to keep Woodstock open. In August of 2011, the fifth Woodstock school building opened it's doors. The two-story building features a gymnasium, cafeteria, two large group rooms, a spacious food service area, parking!, and tile floor patterns designed by the children of Woodstock.
Noted Alumni and Faculty
- Philo FarnsworthPhilo FarnsworthPhilo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
, taught ninth grade in 1920's, later instrumental in the development of Television. - Richard C. Howe, Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme CourtUtah Supreme CourtThe Utah Supreme Court is the supreme court of the state of Utah, USA. It has final authority of interpretation of the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court is composed of five members: a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and three justices. All justices are appointed by the governor...
- Randy Horiuchi, Salt Lake County Council member
- Vince Horiuchi, Salt Lake Tribune TV columnist
- Will SwensonWill SwensonWilliam Swenson is an American actor, writer and film director best known for his work in musical theatre. He also has developed a film career, primarily in Mormon cinema...
, actor and director - Gary AndersenGary Andersen-External links:* *...
, Head Football Coach at Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....