They stand as monuments to a bygone era, silent witnesses to the dreams of common people who knew the value of education. Once, these log, brick and frame structures were sources of pride: focal points for community gatherings, but today, most are gone.

WBGU-PBS’s newest documentary outlines the history of the first one-room schoolhouses built in this region, how they developed over the years and what a typical school day was like through interviews with those who remember those by-gone days.

“All of our historical society and museum friends and partners have information on one-room schoolhouses in our region,” says documentary Producer/Director Tom Zapieki. “It’s something nearly everyone can relate to because they frequently see the remnants of one-room schoolhouses as they drive through the area. Schools were built about two miles apart so no one had to walk too far for school.”

You’ll get a look inside the Harvey School in Crawford County, the two schoolhouses at Sauder Village in Archbold, the Marion “Little Red Schoolhouse” in Findlay, The Zimmerman School in Bowling Green and The “Little Red Schoolhouse” on the campus of Bowling Green State University. A tour of a home, once a one-room schoolhouse, in Henry County is also featured.

“I hope this program encourages people to learn more about the one-room schoolhouses in their area and what can they can do to protect and preserve them so their legacy lives on,” Zapieki adds.

Other one-room schoolhouses included in the program include the Box School at the Wolcott Museum in Maumee, The Oak Grove School in the Wildwood Preserve in Toledo, the Hay Jay School in Williams County and the Merry School at the historic Lyme Village in Bellevue, Ohio.