Ancient Burbank School Now Used as Grange Hall
March 21, 1929

The Burbank school, 3 miles from Smethport, one of McKean county’s oldest country schoolhouses, which was closed last fall with the consolidation of the schools of Keating township, seems destined to continue its useful existence along another line
.
Fidelity Grange of Smethport, due to the fact that many of its members reside in the nearby countryside decided to move its meeting place from this borough into the rural district to better promote the interests of its membership.

The local Grange has secured the use of the abandoned Burbank school through the kindly cooperation of the Keating township school board which has granted a long term lease on the building.

Fidelity Grange now meets in it’s centrally located hall each month and is planning extensive improvements to its new home, which is splendidly adapted for its present use and is located in handy proximity to the hard-surfaced Crosby road.

In olden days the Burbank school was jokingly designated the Irish Hollow Academy and the rugged sons of the early pioneers of that vicinity made existence exiting, if not interesting with their pranks for the series of male teachers who attempted to rule by rod, when reason failed, in those early days.

A wealth of sentiment is wrapped up within the four walls of the ancient school house and its alumni will be glad that the building will not be abandoned and allowed to fall into decay.