Island view school is an abandoned single-room school built-in 1895. Although it was a single room, the school served many during its operation year until it was closed in 1949. Today the building remains standing though in a ruined state.

What’s the history behind the famous school?

In 1985 Island View School was built to serve the children in the region of Sevierville, Tennessee. Though it was single-roomed, the school hosted 30 to 40 students. Being the only school around, kids traveled over a long distance to get there. Basic amenities such as toilets were unheard of at the school. Kids were forced to be creative as the girls used one side of the school to help themselves while the boys took the other. After 22 years of operations, the school was blown away by strong winds. A year later at a cost of less than 600 US dollars, the school stood again. At one time the number of students in the school doubled up when a nearby school burnt down. This was extremely difficult for students from different schools who had to share a school that was already unable to accommodate its own. In 1949, it was closed for good when a nearby school, Boyd’s Creek School, was reopened after the fire incident.

Benefits brought about by the school

Back in the 1800s, finding schools in the rural part of Tennessee was not easy. It would mean traveling insane distances to and from school which discouraged many students. The establishment of Island View School helped many kids as the distance to and from school reduced drastically. Some of the students who used to go past the school on Boyd’s Highway to their school (Body’s Creek) enrolled in Island View when their school was closed temporarily due to a fire outbreak.

Was the school ever restored?

Sam Lyle who is a former student of the school inherited the property where the school was built from his grandfather and is currently trying to restore the school. He has replaced the shattered windows and some minor things like replacing the bell as he is trying to maintain the originality of the school as much as he can.

Current situation of the school

The school is currently a tourist attraction site for locals and non-locals who go to take pictures and hear stories of the school. Most of the visitors who visit the school are former students, their children, and grandchildren who go there to share their experiences and stories. Lyle, who is currently spearheading the restoration activities of the school, opens it twice a year for tours. Various community events are also held there once in a while with the permission of the owner as this brings people to the school where they learn a little about the school.