Several months ago there was some discussion on the White Oak School Reunion page about the old dormitory/teacherage that was located across highway 53 from the school building. Hopefully, the following will give you some insight to the physical and historical aspects of the two-story building. Information comes from some written material, things I’ve heard and personal experience during my 75+ years living in the community.
The wood frame structure consisted of eight rooms downstairs in addition to a front porch and a smaller porch on the north and south sides. There were six rooms upstairs. The house was located about midway between and just to the rear of the two magnolias still found on the property. A huge pecan tree was at the rear corner on the southern side.
In a speech given to the Bladen County Historical Society on March 23, 1972, Mrs. Greta Smith Whitfield discussed her time as a student at White Oak Academy from 1899 to 1910. The presentation, of which I have a copy, is extremely interesting and contains some reference to the ‘dormitory’. She was pretty much considered the historian of White Oak.
According to Mrs. Whitfield, “I remember when I was not yet six years old in 1899, the excitement generated in our White Oak Community when it was noised abroad that the new principal to be of White Oak Academy, a graduate of Wake Forest College was coming to look over the situation that spring before he came to work, in the fall.” He was, as she related, “…a slender, young figure with a head of prematurely gray hair”. The man was William Walton Woodhouse, better known to many as W. W. Woodhouse.
Mrs. Whitfield further stated, “So much of the history and growth of White Oak Academy from 1899 to 1910 while I was there is wrapped up with the personality of Mr. Woodhouse that it is difficult to separate the two. He worked untiringly to improve the buildings, grounds, facilities and secure qualified teachers to help widen the horizons of his students.” Her information indicated White Oak Academy was the only high school in Bladen County for many years and by 1904, enrollment for the entire school had increased to 175 students with many from all parts of the county.
Later in her talk to the society, Mrs. Whitfield said, “By 1908 Mr. Woodhouse had for sometime been urging the citizens of the community to consider building a dormitory for Boarding students. He saw his dream realized. The dormitory was built.
“I remember that my father was so inspired by Mr. Woodhouse’s request for donations that he gave for the dormitory building the lumber he had sawed to complete his own house, which at the time was only hulled in. When the building was completed Miss Melvina Cain came to be the first house keeper and cook for the dormitory residents.
The academy burned in 1918 and school was then held in the dormitory. After being away from White Oak from 1914 until 1920, Mr. Woodhouse returned to find “…a movement was underway to consolidate some of the nearby schools with White Oak and erect a new brick building on the site of the former White Oak Academy”, said Mrs. Whitfield. Her father, according to the speaker, said Mr. Woodhouse, more than anyone else was the driving force in putting consolidation across.
On a personal note, my grandfather, D. M. Tatum, became responsible for making bricks for the new school. The clay came from what was known locally as the Red Hill, the general area where the present day post office is located.
At some point in time after students began using the new school, the dormitory became living quarters for teachers and evidently it took on the monicker of ‘Teacherage’. The house eventually was converted to a three-apartment facility with three of the rooms upstairs not used. The other second floor rooms consisted of a kitcher/dining area, a bedroom and a bath/storage.
The southside downstairs apartment contained, front to back, adjoining bedrooms, a large living room, kitchen/dining room and bathroom built onto part of the side porch. The north section was comprised of two bedrooms, living room, kitchen/dining area and bathroom constructed on a portion of the side porch. A hallway seperated the two rooms on the front and two on the back. The two living areas were divided by a hallway and stairwell.
In the beginning, the building was heated with wood, but over time warmth came from space gas heaters and kerosene heaters. There was no subflooring on the lower level and no insulation in the building, making it very difficult to heat. In fact, where there were no rugs or linoleum, you could feel the cold air coming through cracks in some places, especially if the wind was blowing. During our years there, we lived in all three areas.
Following are educators I knew who live there: C. P. Ashley (principal, teacher, coach), wife Erah (teacher) and Gayla — 1935? to 1964; Hayes Hurdle (agriculture teacher), wife Polly and daughter — late forties; Fulton Stokes (agriculture teacher, coach), wife Mary (home ec., science teacher) — early fifties; Mrs. Sinclair (teacher) — late fifties to early sixties ?; Thomas E. Mercer (principal), wife Alease and daughter — 1963 to 1965; John B. Capprell (principal), wife Lois and daughter — 1965 to 1967; Dan McLaurin (teacher, coach, principal), wife Frances (secretary), Danny, Michael, and Kelly — 1959 to 1973 except one year. I was fortunate enough to work with all of these folks except Hayes Hurdle.
The house was auctioned by the Bladen County Board of Education in the late seventies or early eighties. Really not clear on the date. It was purchased by Bobby McDuffie with intentions of relocating the house to his old homesite on Ruskin Road. However, weight and height issues did not permit such and he and his sons eventually dismantled and moved it. I do not have any information as to what happened to the materials.
Sadly, after searching through thousands of my photos, I’ve been unable to find one of the ‘old dormitory/teacherage’. If anyone does have a picture of the landmark, please share it. Hopefully, this has given you a little better understanding of the ‘when’s and how’s of the iconic structure.
Dan McLaurin