Local organizations donate time and services to Juden Schoolhouse Preservation Project

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – An old one room schoolhouse is getting a second chance as a local school is working to restore the old building to use for current students.

Multiple organizations are coming together to give an old schoolhouse a new life that will serve students of Prodigy Leadership Academy for years to come. 

“Rehabilitating this building gives an opportunity for our students to see and experience many different aspects of the trades” says Grammer.

Russell Grammer is the Prodigy Leadership Academy Director, he shares that Juden schoolhouse #1 was a one room schoolhouse starting in 1854 and served many students for decades, a kitchen and basement were added for more room over the years.

Susan Griffaw is a former student of Juden she attended school in 1951.

“I went to first grade here, and it was the very last year the school was open and had a lot of fun!” 

Over the years the old school slowly deteriorated with age but now Prodigy school leaders say this building carries many memories for student learning and they’d like it to carry many more. They are working to restore the building. Through this process current prodigy students were connected to students who attended Juden schoolhouse many years ago, students share what they are learning through the project.

 “See similarities in our school of how it’s like one room, like a small classroom, just kind of that community coming together, how it’s kind of like a family.”– Jazmin Cruse Prodigy Student.

“I know that, through this process, I have learned a lot about how schooling has changed and really just how the industry has changed, how our country has changed.” – Emily Campbell Prodigy Student.

Semo students in the Historic Preservation Program are also learning from this project says Historic Preservation Program Coordinator Steven Hoffman. Students are working to get the Juden schoolhouse on the National Register of Historic Places and assisting in the Preservation Process of the building, after the building is restored Prodigy students will get to help turn the building into something new such as a school store or ice-cream shop, providing hands-on learning to students of all kinds.

 “To be able to collaborate so that, not only is it helpful to the Prodigy students, but also to students at Southeast Missouri State University” says Hoffman.

The supplies and the work going into the Juden Schoolhouse Preservation Project were generously donated through local organizations, Fortify Building Solutions donated supplies, Daniel’s Roofing donated the work, and even a dumpster was donated through HD dumpsters.

“I mean, for us, we here at Daniels Roofing care about every detail and the fact that we get to be a part of a staple here that is a historical part of the Cape Girardeau community speaks volumes” says Kaleb Webb of Daniels Roofing.

“And the other big reason why is community is what has made us successful you know, we just like to be able to give back” says Nick Reynolds of Fortify Building Solutions. 

Theres not yet an estimated timeframe on when the project will be done, but former Prodigy student John Grammer says the project is providing a great learning experience.

“This is not something that happens every day, the opportunity to restore a building like this and even to have the chance to preserve the memories of some of the students from here” says Grammer. “It is an amazing chance to really preserve our local educational heritage.”