Imagine yourself as a child in 1888. You’re either wearing boy’s knickerbockers with a suit jacket or a long dress and a bodice constricting your breathing if you walk the wrong way.
You
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Imagine yourself as a child in 1888. You’re either wearing boy’s knickerbockers with a suit jacket or a long dress and a bodice constricting your breathing if you walk the wrong way.
You wave goodbye to your ma and pa, mount a horse, and make the four to six-mile horseback journey from Peaceful Valley or Raymond to Bunce School for a day filled with learning.
This was a typical morning for children living during the late 19th century attending the Bunce School in Allenspark. The one-room schoolhouse was built in 1888 by V.H. “Dick” Rowley and J. H. Bunce, a former mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.
Bunce was an early settler in the Allenspark area who served as president of School District 49 from 1894 to 1897. The school grew to 24 by 1893, and in 1896 41 students were in attendance.
Boulder-born La Vella Booth Long was the Bunce School’s first teacher and taught at many Boulder County schools. The school continued operating until 1940 when the district was consolidated and a new school building was constructed in the community.
Though the building was no longer used as a school, owner L.B. Kelley deeded the school and the land to the new school district #59 on July 26, 1954. On February 25, 1969, the district transferred ownership to the Allenspark Fire Protection District.
Nearly three decades later, the Hilltop Guild purchased the historic Bunce School and the adjoining properties, rejoining property that once belonged to the Kelleys. The guild restored the school in 1996.
One hundred and thirty-five years of history continue to live at the Bunce School. There’s a lot to learn here, not only about education in the 19th century but about the people who helped make and continue to make Allenspark what it is.
The historic Bunce School Museum in Allenspark opened for docent-led tours on Saturday, May 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Today, the Bunce School holds county, state, and National Historic designations.
It’s free to visit the school, and dressing in knickerbockers or bodices is optional.
The Bunce School is located at 18720 Highway 7, Allenspark. You can find them on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/TheHilltopGuild or give them a call at 303-747-2001.
