Sharing memories of Mount Pleasant School
I mentioned in a recent column that I had received several notes regarding a question from Phyllis Podolak, who wanted to know about a Mount Pleasant school near Hanover.
Today, I’m excited to get to share those Mount Pleasant memories!
One note came from Richard Crouse, who’d primarily written to give information on the former beer distributorship on Randolph Street in Hanover.
At the end of that letter, Richard mentioned, “There is still a school building in Mount Pleasant at the intersection of Route 194 and Narrow Drive. That is all I know about this.”
I also heard from Ed Reitzel of Hanover, who wrote, “A friend shared with me an article of yours that requested info concerning Mount Pleasant. I attended Mount Pleasant for third and fourth grades, about 1948-1950. Later I graduated from Eichelberger High School in 1957, Shippensburg State in 1961, and then returned to work for the Conewago Valley School District for 36 years!”
Ed noted that he would be glad to share any further information with Phyllis and others who want to know more about Mount Pleasant. If you would be interested, please get in touch with me and I’ll pass on your information to Ed!
I also received a letter from Mark Laughman of New Oxford. Mark’s letter described Mount Pleasant as a two-room schoolhouse that he attended in third and fourth grades, in Conewago Township, Adams County, just outside Hanover.
“It is located in Mount Pleasant village on Route 194 between Hanover and Littlestown,” he wrote.
Mark continued, “My father and his brothers and sisters went there as well. His name was Robert Laughman. Allen, Mary, Beatrice, Harold, Raymond and Irene may ring a bell…”
“When I started school, first and second grades were in Midway, a village between Hanover and McSherrystown. That school now is apartments.” He added that the Mount Pleasant school was privately owned at the time of his letter.
Then, he said, “The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades were taught at the Sand Hill school, also a two-room school. It is now a private dwelling. Sand Hill was located on Oxford Avenue, outside McSherrystown.”
Mark also noted, “Before I started school, there was another school in the township, Locust Grove, in Brushtown, outside McSherrystown… my sister, Beaty, and brother, Gene, also attended these schools.”
He was kind enough to share an article from the April 12 Gettysburg Times about the last school he mentioned, Locust Grove, which later became a restaurant called the Little Red Schoolhouse. Unfortunately, that business was heavily damaged by fire in March 2018, and closed, the article noted.
I did some quick follow-up research that indicated that the former school sold for $65,000 in July. I’d be very interested to know what will become of it!
I’m grateful to all who took the time to share their Mount Pleasant memories. I also found that on the Hanover Public School District website, you can see photos and background on many of the district’s former schools, including photos! That’s found at https://www.hpsd.k12.pa.us/archives/photos/township/township.htm. I hope some readers will enjoy looking through those!
Have questions or memories to share? Email me at joan@joanconcilio.com or write to Ask Joan, York Daily Record/Sunday News, 1891 Loucks Road, York PA 17408. We cannot accept any phone calls with questions or information.
