Cottonwood School 45
- Address: Cottonwood and Dubuque Rd
Built in 1926, the Cottonwood School No 45 was crafted by local workmen to serve as the community school for Self, Arkansas, situated approximately eight miles north of Harrison near Bear Creek. The school is a side gable-on-hip Craftsman structure sheathed in rubble stone veneer on a continuous concrete foundation. A centered porch supported by three battered posts on rubble stone piers dominates the front facade. The concrete foundation above rubble stone extends from the main wall approximately eight inches. The school consisted of one room and two small cloakrooms flanking the front entry. Today the school is a residence. All original six-over-six double-hung windows were replaced in the 1480s with modern one-over-one metal windows and several doors have been replaced. Recently the current owners removed these windows and replaced them with aluminum double-hung windows from Anderson.
One room served as the classroom for all the children through the eighth grade. Children were transported to and from school by wagon, driven by George Sharpe. Mr. Sharpe began his route at a swinging pedestrian bridge across Bear Creek. In addition to its use as a school, this building was home to various community events. John RiddIesperger, a former student, remembers mattress makings in 1936 The school served in the summer of that year as a government subsidized industry utilizing cotton, ticking, and needles supplied by the government to upgrade old feather beds. - NRHP, 2002 July 31