New life being breathed into old schoolhouse

By Sam Waller

The Rock Hill School building in southwest Shackelford County will continue as the polling site for Precinct 4 after the county obtained title to the property in January.

Ownership of the one-room, wooden structure – which dates back to at least 1920 – was somewhat murky following multiple school consolidations in the area. Rock Hill was absorbed by Hamby, which later consolidated with Clyde.

In July of last year, Shackelford County acquired a quit claim deed for the building and commissioners authorized Precinct 4 commissioner Cody Jordan to present it to the Clyde school board.

“One of the first things I did when I got into office was try to get ownership of the school,” Jordan said. “When (county attorney) Rollin Rauschl got into office, I took this to him, and he’s the one who really got it done.”

Jordan said the county was able to obtain the property at no cost.

“As long as it’s owned by Shackelford County and we vote there, it’s public property,” he said. “If the county quits using it for any reason, it will go back to the Clyde school district.”

The school has been Precinct 4’s polling place for decades. Election judge Linda Howerton oversees balloting at the location with the assistance of her daughter Lacie Rivera, who helped spur efforts for the county to obtain and make repairs to the building.

Rivera said Jordan’s efforts were vital to keeping one of the community’s oldest structures standing, something that became more important following the demolition of its post office.

“It’s a little bit of our past,” Rivera said. “It’s all we have left of any of the buildings that age.”

Rivera said assuring the future of the building, located about a mile south of State Highway 351 on County Road 152 some five miles east of Hamby, was important to the community.

“Time moves on, and things change,” she said. “With Rock Hill, it takes your mind back wondering what the school kids’ day was like. It’s nostalgic even though it was previous to the time the majority of us were alive and going to school.”

Jordan said major work on the building will not start until after the March 1 primary.

“We didn’t want to have it torn open while people were trying to vote there,” he said.

Jordan said work will include repair of siding and updated wiring.

“Depending on how far we go, we might possibly insulate and repaint,” he said.

Rivera has emphasized community involvement in the restoration.

“Cody’s keeping the community involved in the repairs,” she said. “He’s not just taking it over  and making the decisions himself. He’s actually inquiring about community input, and that really means a lot.”

One major upgrade will be the addition of a handicapped-accessible restroom, either as an addition or a separate structure. An indoor restroom was added a few years ago. Before that, Rivera said, election workers and voters had to make do with an outdoor porta-potty.