At its best, the promotion of local heritage trails sparks renewed interest and collaborative efforts within our community.
Spotlight: Cullers Run School
In a quiet little holler in Mathias sits a quaint 2-room schoolhouse now serving as a community museum maintained by the Cullers Run School Association (CRSA). Every year, the school opens their doors for the annual Heritage Day Festivals. Visitors cross the threshold and step back in time to a fully restored historical classroom complete with pot-bellied stove, teacher’s desk, student benches, lunch buckets, authentic textbooks, photographs, and original documents.
CRS alum and their descendants also host a biennial school reunion. However, in recent years, the reunion has been held at the Mathias Community Center to better accommodate visiting elders and to provide basic amenities like restrooms and electricity that is currently not available at the school.
Lately, Hardy County’s historical schoolhouses have received increased attention through the schoolhouse trail curated by Mountain Heritage Trails. The trail highlights how these places of learning frequently served as community hubs, hosting church services, community socials, and other essential group activities. In honor of its history, CRSA wants to open their doors more frequently and offer value-added, intergenerational activities once again. Board member Shefa Nola Benoit states, “The school has served this community since1898. We intend to carry that tradition into the 21st Century and beyond.” However, this requires a fundraising campaign to provide the school with essential upgrades including improved access, electricity, an ADA-compliant restroom station, gutters, and a small shed.
October kicked things off thanks to the Hardy County Helpers – angels masquerading as men! A team of local professionals who perform complimentary services in support of their community came to the rescue. In approximately three hours and for no more than the cost of supplies, a sturdy 3-foot by 16-foot access ramp was installed. “This is so exciting!” says board president Cozetta Johnson. “Our hopes of a vital and shared CRS is beginning!”
For more information on how you can support Cullers Run School’s revitalization project and to learn more about historic schoolhouses in the area, contact roadtrip@mountainheritagetrails.org.
Hardy County Helpers from left to right:
David Mathias, Rob Class, Jonathan Hoyt, Neil Gillies, Steve Pendleton, Pastor Harold George, Liam George, Mark Wilt, Ron Dellinger