District #3 – Pendleton and Lynch/Mallon Districts
The Little Red Schoolhouse
1823 - 1915

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🏫 Schoolhouses of Minerva
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District 9 - The Boreas School   /  District 10 - Leonardsville   /   District 12: Havron - Kays   /   District 13 – Aiden Lair​

Illustration for decorative purposes only.

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🕰️Timeline at a Glance

📍 1819
District #3 noted in Pendleton (now Newcomb); 18 children lived in the district but no school held.
📜 1823
District formally established in Pendleton (28th Township, Totten & Crossfield Purchase); application approved June 19.
👩‍🏫 1824
First report: 35 students taught for 6 months.
🔁 1828
Pendleton becomes part of Newcomb. District #3 number reassigned to a new school at top of Minerva Hill.
🏫 1829
School operating in Minerva Hill; 19 students enrolled from local families.
👥 1837
Trustees listed as Russell Gates and Jirah Gates.
🏡 1853
Michael Lynch family moves in; district begins to be called the Lynch District.
💰 1855
Schoolhouse valued at $290; referred to as the “Little Red Schoolhouse.”
🚸 1858
Ridge Road gets its own school (District #5); children there no longer attend District #3.
👨‍👩‍👧 1871
Mallon family arrives; district begins to be called the Mallon District.
🧑‍🏫 1884
Teachers: Rose McCabe & Mary Lahay.
🗺️ 1900
District boundaries changed; gains and loses lots to/from Districts #13 and #4.
📘 1902
Teacher: Catherine Northup. Salary: $101.12.
📉 1905
School closed due to low enrollment.
🛑 1915
District #3 ceases operation after 91–96 years of intermittent use

Early Beginnings in Pendleton (1819–1824)
The education of school children in Minerva began in 1817 with the opening of District #1, The Alfred White School in 1817 on Irishtown Road. Two years later in 1819, District #3 opened in the Pendleton area of what is now Newcomb. Although the school was open and 18 children lived in the district, no school was held. We do not know the reason for this. The trustees at the time were Joseph Chandler Jr., James Chandler, and William Butler.

No further information on District #3 appears until 1823 when an application to create a school district is filed which includes the part of the Town of Minerva called Pendleton. The application is approved on June 19th, 1823. District #3 is formed and included the 28th Township in the Totten and Crossfield Purchase and extended south as far as the Vanderwarker line. Commissioners were William Rill and James Carey.

In 1823, a survey was conducted for a road leading from Gates Road, near Esquire Ithamar West, to Catlin Farm in what was then Pendleton (now Newcomb). The “Water Road” was likely what is now known as North Woods Club Road.

The first report from District #3 Pendleton came in 1824 which tells us that 35 children were taught for six months that year and the trustees were: James Chandler, Abner Beldin, and Elisha Bissell.

Relocation to Minerva Hill (1826–1829)
​In 1828 Pendleton is set off from Minerva and becomes part of Newcomb. District #3 was no longer located in Minerva. Sometime between 1826 and 1828, the number 3 is reassigned to a new school located at the top of Minerva Hill across from what is now the North Woods Club Road. District #3 became known as the Lynch or Mallon District.

1829 saw nineteen students educated from the Gates, West, Wilbur, Loveless, and Jones families. David Gates Jr. and James Jones were the trustees. In 1837 the trustees were Russell Gates and Jirah Gates.

The Lynch Years (1853–1870)Michael Lynch returns to Minerva in 1853 and moves in near his brother at the top of Minerva Hill. His children attend the school which explains why at this time the school is referred to as the Lynch District.
The 1855 census lists the schoolhouse with a value of $290 and a road survey done at that time refers to the building as the “Little Red Schoolhouse.” Children living on Ridge Road most probably were attending District #3 until 1858 when Ridge Road gets its own school, District #5 Puddin Hollow, on land donated by David L. Gates.

The Mallon District (1871–1905)
The Lynch District becomes known as the Mallon District in 1871 when the Mallon family moves to Minerva nearby the Lynch family. The Mallon children attend the local school and Mr. Mallon becomes the trustee. At this point the school is now referred to as the Mallon District.

Teachers in 1884 were Rose McCabe and Mary Lahay and in 1902, Catherine Northup was the teacher. Her salary was $101.12.

A school district boundary adjustment was made in 1900 which changed the boundaries for District #3, District #4 Irishtown, and District #13 Aiden Lair. District #3 gained lots 91–94 from Township 25; these were taken from District #13. District #4 gained lots 4, 9, 10, 14, and 15 which were taken from District #3.

Closure and Uncertainty (1905–1915)
​The Little Red Schoolhouse is closed in 1905 due to lack of students and ceases operations in 1915 after either 96 or 91 years of operation. As noted in the first paragraph, we have conflicting information on what year District #3 opened—depending on whether you count from the initial 1819 designation or the 1824 start of regular instruction.