www.welshheritage.org

The GPWHP also owns and operates the Pleasantview Schoolhouse District #81. The Gage County Historical Society donated it to the group on April 1, 2002.

The Pleasantview Schoolhouse District #81 is located in McCandless Park on Hwy 77 in Wymore. It is a fully furnished 1900 era one-room schoolhouse museum.

Thomas J. & Elizabeth (Rowlands) Humphreys held the first Welsh school in their home until George U. Jones donated the land in 1878 and School District #81 was established. The present schoolhouse was built in 1906. This was the first school to be built by the Bethel Welsh Community for the education of their children. At first, many children arrived speaking only Welsh and for that reason, it was important the teachers come from the Welsh community. Therefore, typically teachers were recent graduates of Wymore High School. The school was located about 2 miles south of Wymore at the north end of the Welsh settlement. The creation of the district predates the town of Wymore by three years.

The International flag display creates a place in which to display and interpret the story of the Welsh throughout the North American Great Plains. This area extends south beyond Texas and north into Canada. A grant received from the Gage County Foundation enabled the group to purchase the flag poles, flags and put in lighting of the flags.

"A Day at Country School" is offered twice a year at the schoolhouse for local 4th grade students from St. Paul Elementary in Beatrice and Southern Elementary in Blue Springs. Teachers dressed in Welsh attire tell the history of country schools and significance of this particular school in the local Welsh settlement. Students are lead through a day of authentic 1929 subjects and learn a little Welsh.

Former teacher at Pleasantview, Helen Kerl teaching Southern Elementary 4th graders how to say Good Morning (Bore Da) in Welsh. Click picture for bigger view.

In Fall of 2007 a grant was received by the City of Wymore from the Thomas Foundation to help fix up the schoolhouse. The bell tower was refurbished, the entrance was made handicap accessible with a new ramp, the outside was scraped and painted and a sidewalk was put in from the street to the building for those muddy days. What a big difference!

The Schoolhouse is open Memorial Day Weekend, Sam Wymore Days in June and on request.