The oldest wooden school house in the United States predates the year 1716 when it was listed as the homestead belonging to Juan Genoply in St. Augustine's first tax rolls. There has been other sources that state the house may have been built as early as 1703. (There are no extant wooden buildings in St. Augustine built prior to 1702 when the British burned the city.)  However the first official record is 1716. By 1788 the home is only listed as in Fair condition.

 

  The house was constructed by hand using materials of red cedar wood and cypress, by Juan Genoply, who was a Greek carpenter. Wooden pegs and handmade nails were used to keep the timbers in place. The “oldest school house” or the Genoply house is the only surviving second Spanish period frame building in the old city.

 

  When this house was a home to the Genoply family it had no running water, electricity, kitchen, or privy. The drinking water had to be drawn from the well. The kitchen was a separated building behind ha main house to reduce the risk of fire as well as to reduce the temperatures in the main house during those hot summer days in Florida. The privy (or bathroom) was later constructed away from the main building with an enclosure for privacy.

 

  The house original house was a single room as Juan Genoply was not married when it was constructed it was enough to suit his needs. Eventually he did marry and the house was expanded to make room for living quarters as well as a school. The living quarters were located upstairs for the family and the downstairs was used as a co-ed school. This was the first school to teach both boys and girls together at once.

 

  If you were to visit the school house you would see the Animatronic figures of children and the school master tell you about themselves and a typical school day. There are textbooks used by students, school artifacts, cooking utensils of that time period. If you visit the tour page of our site you can see a little bit of what goes on inside the school including Little Johnny and his teacher. It is said that little Johnny represent Johnny Genoply, Juan’s son who later grew up to take over 600 acres of land in St. Augustine. The Geneoply's were mostly teachers and after Juan retired his daughter Mary Darling took over as a teacher for the Minorca children.

 

  In the garden behind the school house there is a 250 year old pecan tree which existed even when the original school children attended class. The garden has many tropic plants like bird of paradise and hibiscus. It is inspiring to sit on one of the benches and imagine all of the children who had classes outside 300 years ago.

 

  If you look closely at the house you will see a giant chain that is connected around the school house and is attached to an anchor. This chain added in 1937 when a hurricane threatened St. Augustine.  They added it to secure the wooden school house and prevent it from being damaged.

 

The House was sold to Walter B. Fraser, the city mayor from 193.4 to 1942. A promoter of St. Augustine historical attractions including the Fountain of Youth, he began marketing the house as the Oldest Wooden School House in the United States Museum.