Thrift School

One of the oldest surviving one-room schoolhouses in Prince George’s County, Thrift School was built in 1884. It replaced an earlier school from 1869 located on the same site. The School Commissioners, having acquired the one-acre tract from the Bryan Family 15 years earlier, contracted J.B. Townshend to rebuild the school for $495. The school’s first two modern innovations were acquired in 1905&#8212;a water closet and a typewriter.<br><br> The school was closed in 1909 after area residents requested that a new school be built in a more accessible location. Subsequently, the property was sold and the structure was altered to serve as a dwelling; however, despite the alterations, it still retains the exterior appearance of a typical late 19th century schoolhouse. In 1962, the school and 500 acres were conveyed to The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission and are now a part of Cosca Regional Park.<br><br> Historic Property of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.<br> <i>For additional information, call 301-218-9564</i>