Teacherage

Teacherage was a building, often in a rural setting but on school grounds and resembling a private home, that provided living accommodations for schoolteachers. The term came into general use largely in the first quarter of the twentieth century when public schools began to be opened in rural areas of North Carolina. The teacherage was sometimes managed by a matron or local residents or was operated cooperatively by the residents themselves. The building provided private or shared bedrooms, dining facilities, parlors or reception rooms, and bathrooms. The availability of a comfortable teacherage attracted teachers to schools that otherwise would have had difficulty filling staff vacancies.