Oct 15, 2015 4 min read

ROGERSVILLE – To really get to know what historic places in Greene County are the most beloved, just ask a local artist.

Barbara Deynzer has painted many renderings of the Crouse Schoolhouse, mostly on slate, and she recently put the finishing touches on yet another painting, this one on canvas, of one of Greene County’s favorite icons.

It was from this little brick school near Rogersville that kids attended and teachers taught from the early 1900s until 1960, generating many happy memories, not only for those who still live here but for those who left but still remember the good times of learning in a one-room school.

“Someone asked me to paint a covered bridge on a piece of slate that they gave me and that’s what got me started,” she said. “People tell me, ‘I used to live here and I want to take something home.’ I must have painted the Crouse Schoolhouse a couple of hundred times.”

Buzz Walters, a retired West Greene High School coach and local history buff who lives in Rogersville, is project manager of the school’s preservation and maintenance fund through the Greene County Historical Society. The group is trying to restore the historic schoolhouse and has made progress with a new roof.

Walters contacted Deynzer last month about doing a painting for a fundraiser, and she offered to donate her work to the cause.

“I drive by the school every time I go to town so I know how much work it needs,” she said.

The raffle for Deynzer’s painting, appraised at $500, starts this weekend at the GCHS Museum’s Harvest Festival on Rolling Meadow Road in Franklin Township, and the winning ticket will be drawn at the museum’s Christmas open house Nov. 30.

“Our fundraising is ongoing and we’re hoping to have the bell tower up soon,” Walters said. “There’s sill a lot of work to be done but we’re grateful we were able to get the roof done before winter.”

Elaine Eagon, and her husband, Paul, now residents of Waukegan, Ill., attended classes at Crouse and have come back many times for reunions or to visit old friends. They’ve donated in the past and Elaine said they support the restoration project.

“It’s wonderful that Greene County recognizes the treasures it has and that people are willing to give what they can to preserve them,” she said. “I’m a covered bridge nut myself and it means so much to me to know that the Shriver Bridge on Hargus Creek was built by my husband’s family in 1904.”

Deynzer’s painting will be on display at the Harvest Festival this weekend. Festival goers can buy raffle tickets and learn about the restoration project, what’s been done and what needs to happen to turn the school into both a tourist attraction and a future community meeting room and education center.

The annual Harvest Festival fundraiser is a large part of the museum’s budget. Admission is $5 and kids under age six get in free.

“We have a children’s area with games and activities and there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” museum Director Eben Williams said. “This is a time for celebrating our unique heritage and culture. Bring the kids and have them learn about the history of Greene County.”

The festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and will feature live music, homemade crafts and food, along with artists demonstrating pottery making, blacksmithing, basket weaving, threshing and more. Re-enactments include a Colonial tavern, a Native American encampment and a Civil War battle at 3 p.m. both days.

This year, there is an art exhibit in the museum’s newest restored log cabin, sponsored by the Monon Center of Greensboro. The Big Draw features work done by local artists whose work will then be on cyber-exhibit as part of an annual international event. This year’s Big Draw was the first to be held in Pennsylvania.

For more information, call GCHS 724-627-3204 or visit www.greenecountyhistory.org.