Old Schoolhouse Given New Life

Old Schoolhouse Given New Life

By Stephanie Lampe

The old brick one-room schoolhouse across the road from Matthew and Alison Wilson’s place in Dilliner had sat abandoned for years. Originally part of the Donley property, this piece at the edge of their land was deeded to build a larger school for the community’s children. Some time after the end of its schoolhouse life, it is believed that the building was used as a church meeting site. In more recent years it sat vacated, but the Wilson family has changed that.

Matthew, a professor of animal science at West Virginia University, and Alison, a trauma surgeon at WVU, are not native to Pennsylvania. Matthew Wilson grew up in Indiana while Alison hails from upstate New York. They met in Indiana, but parted ways to finish their schooling. A few years later, they reconnected. They got married and moved into their home in Dilliner in 2002. They currently reside there with their two sons, Hank (11) and Ben (9).

When the Wilsons first moved into their home, they noticed the old schoolhouse across the road. They kept an eye on the property over the next eight years as each pondered what they could do with it if they ever had the chance to buy it. That chance came in 2010 when the schoolhouse and the land it occupies became available at a tax sale. They embraced the opportunity and purchased the property for $10,000. But they wondered… now that they had bought the property, what were they actually going to do with it?

At first, Matthew and Alison had very different ideas on what they could do with old building. Matthew had dreams of turning it into a large wood shop while Alison was thinking how nice it would be to have a guesthouse for visitors. They eventually abandoned those ideas and began to look towards turning it into a rental property. Before officially deciding which direction to go with schoolhouse, there were two structural issues that

needed immediate attention. The roof leaked and there were bricks that needed repointed. So that is where the renovations began. The roof was patched to prevent any further damage to the building, the bricks were repointed so that the building would remain sturdy, and new windows were installed. After accomplishing those things, the planning process began.

Over the next few years, the Wilsons met with an architect to plan out the renovations. In 2014, the major effort got underway. The roof was replaced, power lines were moved, and a septic system was installed. All of the original woodwork was removed, refinished then reinstalled. The hardwood floor was refinished. A full kitchen was installed. A two-story addition with a basement was built on to the backside of the schoolhouse. “The renovations cost us around $300,000,” Matthew shared.

Even with all of the renovations that were completed, they managed to save much of the original building’s interior. All of the woodwork, the wainscoting, front doors, a closet door, and the flooring are original. The wood floor is so authentic that, even after it was refinished, you can still see the burn marks from the pot-bellied stove and the wearing of the paths between the rows of desks. “It adds to the character of the building,” Matthew said.

It has been a labor of love...and patience. The old table on the first floor is the perfect example. Matthew believes that it was just a simple table, nothing special, put together quickly so it could be used. The table had a piece of graphite, or something similar, glued to the top. This top piece was removed and Alison painstakingly cleared away all of the glue. Matthew sanded and refinished it. Now it sits ready for use as a dining table.

When you first walk in through the double front doors, you immediately notice the deep, rich color of the woodwork and the open feeling of the space. To the left is a sitting/TV viewing area. To the right, the restored dining table with benches for sitting. Straight ahead and across most of the backspace is a beautiful full kitchen, complete with modern conveniences. There is a dining island with stools, major appliances (refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher), a full set of stunning wooden cabinets, and a variety of small appliances. Off to the left of the kitchen is a closet/pantry.

After passing by the kitchen (on the right), you leave the original building and enter the new addition. To the left of the doorway are Jack and Jill bathrooms with a shower between. A wonderful touch to these bathrooms is that the outside brick wall of the schoolhouse was left intact to become the interior back wall of the bathrooms. Going further still, you see the first floor bedroom off to the left. The bedrooms each have a bed, dresser, and closet. In the middle of this area, steps lead down to the basement, housing the furnace and other interworkings of the building. Directly in front of the short hallway going past the bathrooms is the gorgeous wooden staircase leading to the second floor bedroom. The upstairs will eventually have its own bathroom. Adding to the nostalgia of the entire space are lovely antiques, placed throughout the home. From American flags, quilts, and old books to dressers, framed photos, and other antique pieces, the Wilsons have decorated the schoolhouse to reflect the rustic feel of the building.

“My wife has taken an interest in military memorabilia,” Matthew said when asked about some of the photos and other items. His wife deserves most of the credit when it comes to the decor. “Old stuff smells moldy to me,” he laughed, “but not to my wife.”

After hosting a few get-togethers at the schoolhouse and having family and friends stay overnight there, the Wilsons realized they want to use the property as more of an Airbnb and event space. The property boasts a spacious yard and ample parking space. Matthew believes it would be a great place to stay for parents of college students or for people visiting the area for the fall foliage.

They still have a few things to do to get it completely finished and a website is in the works, but Matthew is pleased with this project. “We are glad we were able to save it,” he stated. And as a part of Greene County history, we’re glad the Wilson’s decided to save this little Dilliner schoolhouse, too. For more information on renting the schoolhouse, please call 304-376-3563.