There have been hundreds of students who have passed through The Boogersburg School since 1877, and sometimes those former students will even return for a visit.

“We still have graduates from elementary school that actually went to The Boogersburg School and sometimes they arrive on the scene on this day when we have our open house every year,” said Mary Sorensen, Executive Director of the Centre County Historical Society.

Doyle Wilkerson said she doesn’t want the legacy of the school to die,
which is why she teaches children who visit all about the experience of what it was like to go to school here in the 19th century.

As a retired teacher, she says this allows her to continue to impact others.

“Once you teach, you always want to teach.  And so once I retired, this was an opportunity for me to still work with children, which I absolutely love doing,” said Wilkerson

Wilkerson says it’s especially fun for her to show children how different it was to be a student at Boogersburg compared to schools today.

“I love it!  It’s so much fun and what is really interesting, is that the environment is so different from the classroom that children experience today, but they love it,” said Wilkerson.

The school is a reminder of how important it is to show people a look back at the community’s history.