Preserving the Character of Our City - A Day in the Little Red Brick Schoolhouse - Create Your Own Pictorial Alphabet

Sep 15, 2026

Preserving the Character of Our City introduces a historical look at a Dover red brick schoolhouse, including what a teacher named Betsy Crocker taught in 1816 and how the building was later replaced in 1869 and torn down in 1946. The lesson explains classroom objects and core subjects such as reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and spelling. It highlights McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers and provides step-by-step instructions to create and share a pictorial alphabet, supported by suggested supplies, activities, and sourced references.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPosters

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time3 min

AccessFree to download

A Day in the Little Red Brick Schoolhouse

Classroom life and key subjects

McGuffey's Readers and spelling instruction

Create Your Own Pictorial Alphabet

Sharing and resources

BAY VILLAGE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Preserving the Character of Our City A Day in the Little Red Brick Schoolhouse The first recorded schoolteacher in Dover was named Betsy Crocker. She taught in 1816 in a log schoolhouse on the lakeshore east of Bassett Road. This log schoolhouse was later replaced by the first red brick schoolhouse in 1869 (pictured right; photograph from 1933) . The schoolhouse is no longer there, as it was torn down in 1946. What might you find on the teacher's desk inside the red brick schoolhouse? An attendance book (also called a school register) , an ink well and pen, schoolbooks for the day's lessons, perhaps even a bell to capture her pupils' (students') attention! Does your teacher have a special way to get your class' attention? We encourage you to visit Rose Hill Museum to find the artifacts pictured in this article! Open Sundays 2:00-4:30, April through December. The little red brick schoolhouse would have housed pupils of both upper and lower grades. In addition to the teacher's desk, there was a blackboard, two benches, a hanging lamp, and a potbellied stove to keep the schoolhouse warm in the winter months. What would pupils be learning? Reading, writing, arithmetic (math) , geography and spelling were the earliest subjects taught, with spelling considered to be one of the most important subjects. Pupils in grades 1-6 would have learned quite a few of these subjects with a set of McGufey 's Eclectic Readers and Spelling Book. This set of early elementary books were compiled by an Ohio educator from Miami University, William Holmes McGuffey, in the1830s. The collection of primer, speller, and four readers helped to standardize the use of the English language in the United States and have taught more Americans to read than any other textbook! The spelling book (pictured above) begins with a copy of the upper and lowercase alphabet, followed by a pictorial alphabet (portion pictured left) , and a series of spelling word lists. A pictorial alphabet shows a picture of an object that begins with the letter sound. A cat represents the letter Cc, for example. As you can see, animals were commonly chosen. This tool gave pupils a visual reminder of each letter's sound. Is there an alphabet poster in your classroom? Find the template to create your own pictorial alphabet below! Create Your Own Pictorial Alphabet Supplies pictorial alphabet template (found on the following pages) a writing utensil coloring supplies Instructions Choose a word that begins with the letter, write the word at the bottom of the box . Animals and household items are common choices . See McGuffey's pictorial alphabet below for inspiration! Get creative-choose your favorite foods, hobbies, toys, etc . Draw a picture that represents the word. Continue with each letter until you have completed the alphabet We would love to see your pictorial alphabets! Share a picture with us via email [bvhsrosehill@gmail. com](bvhsrosehill@gmail. com), or share on Facebook and tag Bay Village Historical Society. | A
a | B
b | | --- | --- | | C
c | D
d | | E
e | F
f | | G
g | H
h | | I
i | J
j | | --- | --- | | K
k | L
l | | M
m | N
n | | O
o | P
p | | Q
q | R
r | | --- | --- | | S
s | T
t | | U
u | V
v | | W
w | X
x | Y y Z z Information and resources for this lesson sourced from: Bay Village: A Way of Life. Bay Village Historical Society, 1974. Smith, Samuel James.“McGuffey Readers.” Encyclopædia Britannica, [www.britannica.com/topic/McGuffey-Readers. Accessed 11 Aug. 2023](www.britannica.com/topic/McGuffey-Readers. Accessed 11 Aug. 2023) . McGuffey’s Eclectic Spelling Book. Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co. , 1879.

FAQs

What classroom items were typically found inside the red brick schoolhouse?

The teacher’s desk, an attendance book (school register), an ink well and pen, schoolbooks, plus a blackboard, benches, a hanging lamp, and a potbellied stove.

Why were McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers and Spelling Book important?

They were compiled in the 1830s to help standardize English language use in the United States and were widely used to teach reading and spelling.

How do students create their own pictorial alphabet?

Choose a word that begins with the target letter, write it in the box, draw a picture representing the word, and repeat for each letter until the full alphabet is completed.

Sep 15, 2026

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