Construction students build 1905-era replica schoolhouse

Southwest Missouri State University’s College of Education, in partnership with the construction management program, in early March built a replica 1905-era one-room schoolhouse.
The project, part of the university’s centennial celebration, is a reminder that many of the teachers who attended Missouri State Normal School No. 4 – now called SMSU – began their teaching careers in one-room schoolhouses.
Chad Crouch, a construction management student at SMSU, served as project manager for the schoolhouse, which mixed old and new building techniques and met modern building codes.
Shawn Strong, head of the industrial management department at SMSU, said in a news release that the schoolhouse project provided a chance for students to get hands-on experience with the entire building process.
“Fifty years from now, when they look back on their time with SMSU, this will be one of those experiences they will cherish,” Strong said.
The schoolhouse features cedar shakes, hardwood flooring, lap siding and a bell tower. It will be used by SMSU for educational purposes, the release said.