Old School House on the backroads of North Carolina
What a joy to find this Old School House. This is the Old Stratford Academy.
The first time I was there, the whole hill was covered in tall grass and you could only see the top half of the school. The second time someone had mowed the brush and I didn’t even recognize it because so much more of the weathered wood was showing.
I’ve read that the school was built by Monroe Estep around 1900. He was a Alleghany Carpenter and Builder.
Alleghany County, North Carolina is known for the Blue Ridge Mountains, the New River (one of the world’s oldest rivers), and Christmas Tree farms.
I love exploring these rural areas. There’s so much history and things haven’t changed so drastically as the place where I grew up. Also, rural areas are diverse, you never know what you’re going to see. When is the last time you went to another State and just drove around on the back roads?
You learn so much observing the old houses and the lay of the land. You can roll down your window and smell the fresh air, leave your worries at home.
What a treat to visit a new place and see how other people live, but my favorite part is being on those country roads and feeling like I’m traveling back in time. Would you rather travel alone or with a friend?
