Our Dream Home In The Ozarks

We live in a schoolhouse called Oak Leaf. Since Wendell and I are interested in history and tradition, we are very proud to own this historic landmark. The land where we live was first donated for a school in 1878. After several wood frame school houses burned, the superintendent of Oak Leaf School District # 44, decided to build a rock two room school house in 1936. With the help of the National Youth Administration, one of President Roosevelt's alphabet agencies, the school was constructed. First, the schoolhouse was bricked then rock from the surrounding area was added to the outside. The NYA built the rock courthouse at Mountain View Arkansas as well and the sign is almost identical to ours.

School was held here for only two years then the district consolidated with Sloan-Hendrix at Imboden. The house sat empty for several years with the school equipment still in the house then it was sold and Oak Leaf became a home. One of the owners ran an ice delivery business and he built a rock container for ice storage on the northern front of the house. Altogether the house is quite unique with each room having a triangular shape. The Spring Garden is over a 100 years old and is magnificent with jonquils in the spring. This year an iris garden was added.

In 1937 the Works Progress Administration, the WPA and the ERA, built a rock wall around the three acres; they also made the two rock posts at the entrance. To the left on one rock post is a sign proclaiming that this is Oak Leaf School. The owner before us added the lion gates. Our immediate changes were to roof the house with a green tin roof and to tear off the frame addition at the back of the house. We both think we are much smarter after living in a schoolhouse.

(Click on any photo to enlarge)