31 Jan 1837: Samuel Fry and Rebecca, his wife, sold to John Grabill land.

24 Dec 1868: John Grabill and Mary, his wife, grant to trustees of German Baptist Church lot of land and dwelling which was originally a school house.

20 Jan 1879: John Elis (sic), A.J. Kagey and Joseph Maphis, trustees, for German Baptist Church, sold to Mary Grabill, the wife of John Grabill, being same lot conveyed to above trustees by John Grabill and Mary, his wife, Dec. 1868

26 Mar 1921: Roy Grabill and Elsie P., his wife, sold to Otis O. Zirkle.

This house was originally built for a school house and therefore is very small. The school teacher must have lived in the school for it has five rooms, and some of the rooms are upstairs. The house is built entirely of logs and the inside, also of log, is plastered. The huge fireplace is in the center of the house, and the fireplace is of stone. The doors are made of up and down very wide boards. The only remodeling done was the addition of a pantry on the west side of the house.

Three old maids lived in this house. Their father, John Grabill, bought it in 1837, then sold it in 1868 to the German Baptist Church for a meeting house. It probably was not used for very long, for in 1879, Mary Grabill, John Grabill's wife, bought it back, and three of the daughters and a nephew lived there until they died.

It is said that when the girls had company, the oldest would ... of an event or story. Then the next oldest would repeat it word for word. Then the youngest would do the same after which they would proceed to tell the next topic in the same way.

The house was originally an old schoolhouse as stated in Deed Book G, page 140. But when it was built or by whom has never been learned. Samuel Fry was the first to sell in 1837. So it could not have been given for a school any time before that date. No records have been found previous to that date.

Source: Virginia W.P.A. Historical Inventory Project, 1937

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