Forest Grove No. 5 story featured on Paul Sands Live May 4th

 

KWQC-6's Paula Sands Live! will have guests Kelly Rundle from Fourth Wall Films, and Sharon Andresen, Project Coordinator for Forest Grove School Preservation, on the show Tuesday, May 4 at 3:00 p.m. to  talk with Paula about the 7+ years of restoration work on Forest Grove No. 5, the official opening to the public later this month, and the new 10-minute museum film produced by the Rundles which debuts at the schoolhouse May 22.

 

Paula Sands Live! is featured weekdays on KWQC TV6 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

"Five very generous donors made the museum film "Remembering Forest Grove" possible," said producer Kelly Rundle.  "We are grateful to each of them and excited to share the film with them and with the public May 22 at Forest Grove School."

 

The historic 1873 schoolhouse features fun exhibits, docent tours, an interactive film viewing, and plenty of history. Forest Grove School No. 5 will officially open to the public  Saturdays 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. beginning May 22, 2021. Admission is free for all ages. Donations are welcomed!

 

Kelly & Tammy Rundle, Fourth Wall Films, shoot interior footage at Forest Grove No. 5.

The Rundles are also working on a feature-length documentary entitled Resurrecting Forest Grove. The film will cinematically tell the dramatic true story behind the seemingly-impossible task of restoring a vintage one-room school to its 1920s appearance. Footage and interviews gathered over a seven-year period depict the problems they faced and the solutions they employed as they attempted to bring this rural icon back to life. The surprises and successes of this challenging restoration project are intercut with a vivid historical portrait of the 'Roaring 20s' in rural America.

 

Resurrecting Forest Grove is partially funded by a grant from Humanities Iowa, and the The National Endowment for the Humanities. The fiscal sponsor for the documentary project is The Moline Foundation. Resurrecting Forest Grove is slated for release in early 2022.

 

Fourth Wall Films is an award-winning and Emmy-nominated independent film and video production company formerly located in Los Angeles, and now based in Moline, Illinois.

 

Here is how you can help support work on the documentary project, RESURRECTING FOREST GROVE:

To contribute, check out the cool "perks"offered, read up on details about the film project and campaign updates, click HERE. We accept donations of all levels, starting at $5!  

Thank you for considering supporting Resurrecting Forest Grove!  We are very grateful to all of our generous Sponsors & Supporters! 

The Old Wood Burning Stove Crowns the Classroom at Forest Grove

Tom Cox restored the vintage wood burning stove, delivered it to the school and intalled it with the help of Charles Watkins. Ben Taylor assisted with the stovepipe installation.

So much work has been done on the interior of Forest Grove School this summer and as the September 13th ribbon-cutting ceremony bears down, the final fittings of school desks, framed portraits of Presidents Lincoln and Washington, books, maps, a 1920s 48-star American flag, a rare globe and all the country-school trimmings are in full force.  But today's installation of a vintage stove was the crowning touch for this historic icon. Forest Grove School gave us goosebumps... AGAIN!

Have you ever lifted a cast-iron stove? Didn't think so!  Tom Cox and Charles Watkins did and carefully moved it into place at the front corner of the classroom.  The installation of the vintage wood burning stove and the stovepipe took approximately 2 1/2 hours.  

Charles Watkins, Kris Albert and Sharon Andresen, representatives of Forest Grove School Preservation, are very pleased with the new 'addition' to the one-room school.

Forest Grove School's ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Friday, September 13 at 10:30 a.m. followed by a luncheon at Davenport Country Club, to celebrate the official opening of the Pleasant Valley Township Forest Grove School No 5. Each lunch reservation is $25, payable to Forest Grove School Preservation by Monday, Sept 9th. Please mail reservation checks to Forest Grove School Preservation, PO Box 603, Bettendorf, IA, 52722. The luncheon starts at 12:00 PM and is located at 25500 Valley Drive, Pleasant Valley, Iowa.

Tammy & Kelly Rundle of Fourth Wall Films, producers of the new documentary feature film Resurrecting Forest Grove, have been documenting the restoration of Forest Grove School No. 5 since work began on the schoolhouse seven years ago. The film project is in the production phase and a fundraising campaign is underway to raise matching funds for a grant the project received from Humanities Iowa. Click HERE to learn more about the film project and how YOU can help!