Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse

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The Oldest Wooden School House is a wooden structure near the city gates of St. Augustine, Florida. It is reportedly the oldest wooden school building in the United States. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it first appears on tax records in 1716.

The house is encircled by a large chain, placed there in 1937, to help anchor it to the ground in case of a hurricane. The walls are made of bald cypress and red cedar which are held together by wooden pins and iron spikes but it has had recent maintenance such as a new roof among other fixes. The building originally belonged to Juan Genoply. The classroom was shared by both boys and girls, making it the first school in the nation to go "co-ed".

[edit] Tours

The school is open everyday except Christmas from 9 to 5 with extended summer hours. The facility features a self-guided tour with a robotic professor and student giving a brief history on the house. There are also numerous items with information posted around the building to read. Gardens located behind the house feature exhibits of the kitchen, a rebuilt outhouse, and an old well.