The first school in Frailey Township was in a shanty near the Franklin House. Two substantial schools, one in upper Donaldson and one in lower Donaldson, were built of stone in 1850. They were two story structures, each accommodating two schools. Additional schools were built in the villages of Strongville, Middle Creek and Eckertsville. These additional schools, along with their villages, have long since disappeared.
In 1888, a central school was built in Donaldson to accommodate all the pupils of the town. It was constructed by Conrad, Deifenderger and Knittle of Port Carbon and at the time of its construction was considered “the most up-to-date- school houses in the county”. Excerpts from County Supt. G.W. Weiss’ 1890 description are as follows: “Frailey Township erected a large brick building at Donaldson, containing six room, each about thirty feet square with fourteen feet ceiling. Each room is supplied with porcelain basin and running water…each of the school rooms has its own entrance. All the doors of the building open outwards. The building is fitted up with first-class steam heating apparatus. There are ventilating flues supplying all parts of the building with pure air. The inside of the building is wainscoated in natural wood.”
By 1931, the central school was experiencing a crowded condition. In April 1931, with the school district being free of debt and the assessed valuation of over three million dollars, plans were put in place for an addition to the central school. It consisted of remodeling the existing building along with the addition of an auditorium, gymnasium and additional classrooms. This addition was dedicated on May 20, 1932. The benefits of the addition gave: 1) an auditorium for plays, recitals, debates, and concerts; 2) a gymnasium for athletic contests, physical trainings and sports and 3) a well stocked library for research. A commercial course and science department was added for a very fine chemistry and physics laboratory. The instrumental music for the school and community activities is now supplied thru its band, orchestra, drum and bugle corps. Students could graduate in 11th grade or if they wished, could attend Tremont High School for the final year.
This all came to an end in the early morning hours of Friday, February 6, 1959. At about 4:20am, a neighbor spotted flames in the school workshop. He stopped a passing motorist, on this way to work, and the motorist turned in the fire alarm. When the fire department arrived, fire was still in the rear of the building. The fire hydrant in front of the school failed, only producing 10 lbs of water pressure. Help was called in from Tremont, Hegins, Ravine and Pine Grove. Fire hoses were run from a stream one half mile away and from the stream at the ballpark behind the school. By the time help arrived and the hose lines were set, with the help of a strong February wind, the fire had gained a headway and ran through the main building. A photo of the fire stated the “Only the auditorium, added to the school in 1931, was saved. Over the weekend, following the fire, school board directors made arrangements with Tremont School directors to move the Frailey students into the Tremont schools until a the situation could be corrected. On Tuesday, February 10, County Superintendent of Schools, Arthur H. Henninger stated that the State Department of Public Schools would not approved the construction of a school in Frailey because of the small enrollment. Tremont Borough and Frailey Township school districts consolidated.
On Thursday, February 12, 1959 a report by the state Labor and Industry Department stated that the fire at the Frailey School was spread by “an open wooden stairway up which the flames raced as in the Chicago school fire”. The following day, Vice President of the Frailey Township School Board Harry Bixler disputed the Labor and Industry Departments conclusions. He stated that the Department of L & I could not give an accurate report, since up until the fire; they had not inspected the Frailey School. He also stated that the school did not have an open stairway. “The school had two stairwells, a steel one in the center of the building and a wooden on in the front of the building.” He continued, “The fire did not race up the wooden stairs to the second floor, as the report claims.” As proof of this Bixler pointed out, “We have used these wooden stairs since the fire. The only damage done to them was done from fire, falling from above-not coming from below.”
With the auditorium still standing and saved from the fire, many thought of turning that part of the structure into a community center. However, on Tuesday, November 3, 1959 another fire broke out in part of the building still left standing after the February fire. This put a final end to the Frailey Township School.
The auditorium still stands today. Over the years, the remains were used as a municipal garage, later purchased to convert to an industrial building (which never happened). Part of it is currently used as a residential rental property along with a rental mobile home on the site of the original building.
IMPORTANT:
This cache is located off the school premises. The old school property is privately owned so PLEASE do not go in the property or try to go into the old building. Acceptable view of the remaining school can be done in front of Auditorium main entrance at N40° 38.209’ x W076° 24.518’. Parking for this cache is available at N40° 38.118 x W076° 24.608.
{Background and historical information on this school was obtained from old newspaper articles and a re-printed version of the 1935 copy History of Frailey Twp. from the Joseph H. Zerbey History of Pottsville and Schuylkill County}
BENCHMARKS: If you enjoy searching for benchmarks, you will find two benchmarks within a “stones throw” from the parking coordinates: Benchmark KW0153 & KW0154.
HAPPY HUNTING.