(Norristown
1880 plat)
1899 Norristown School pupil photo
Norristown was first called Winterrowd. On November 22, 1851 the town was laid out by David Winterrowd, Win. P.
Winterrowd, Joseph Winterrowd and Henry Deiwert. The town was plotted into 54 lots with the main street running
east and west. A post office was established in December 1853 and was called Winterrowd. Win. Winterrowd was named
the first postmaster. Win. M. Deiwert served as postmaster for four years.
Henry Deiwert was the first merchant as early as 1845 and he remained about 10 years. About 1850, Win. P. Winterrowd
began merchandising and continued several years. The leading merchants have been: Sylvestor Tillson, David Tuel,
Dr. W. A. Bodine, and John Newton. James Eason, was the primary merchant in 1882.
The first physician was James M. Norris, for whom the village was later named Norristown .Dr. S. A. Kennedy was
the physician in the 1880's. D.C. Dodds was postmaster at Norristown for 8 years.
There had been many businesses in the town but the store of longest duration was the grocery of Orpha Scripture
Raper Hatton, who is residing in a nursing home at this writing, at the age of 94 plus years. E.D. VanGorden had
a grocery store and Dr. Ernest Miller once had a barbershop on the north side of the main street. There were blacksmith
shops in town operated by Ernest Maple, Tim Colby and Tom Hobbs. Art Bone had a creamery on the south side of the
main street for many years and delivered dairy products to nearby towns.
An attraction early in the century was a 90-foot long skating rink. This building was located on the south side
of the main street. After the white brick school building burned in 1912 or 1913, partitions were put in it and
used for a school. It was crowded and some area pupils were sent to Flat Rock until the red brick building was
built on the hill in 1914.
Farmers' Lodge, F & AM No. 147. was organized May 27, 1853. It once occupied the upper floor of the two-story
white frame building on the south side of Main Street before buying the red brick school building it now occupies.
When first organized, David Conger was M.W. (Master Warden), David Flynn S.W. (Senior Warden) and Jesse Mooreman
J.W. (Junior Warden) . This lodge is said to have had a membership then of sixty-one. In 1882 it was one of the
most prosperous county lodges in this locality, and owns the building in which the meetings are held. The Grangers
and Red Men formerly had organizations here, but have gone down. It was one of the most prosperous country lodges
in that locality.
Probably the first school building in Norristown was a small frame building a little south and west of the two-story
brick home of Mr. & Mrs. Kirk VanGorden. The two story brick building was probably built around 1879 because
Mrs. Dolph Harrod has the first school commencement program dated 1885. J.W. Parrish was principal, Miss Ida Jackson
- assistant and Thos Newton was trustee. Those taking part in the program were Floretta Jackson, Willard Hodson,
Jesse Kennedy, Edna Maze, Linnie Deiwert, Lottie Deiwert, Thos. W. Newton, Fannie Wrench, Katie M. Spellman and
Zerrilla Kimberling. The diplomas were presented by Douglas Dobbins, Superintendent of Shelby County schools.
The white brick school building on the hill was built in 1907 or 1908 and burned in 1913. The red brick school
building on the hill, now occupied by the Masonic Lodge, was built in 1914. It was used as a school until it was
closed in the spring of 1939 and students were transported elsewhere.
A cemetery of one quarter of an acre was started about 1830 on the farm of Joseph Winterrowd. As time went on and
many burials were made on the above plot, another one-quarter of an acre was set aside for that purpose. In 1880
two more acres were added to the cemetery. In the meantime, in July 1856, a committee met and advertised bids for
the construction of a meeting house. The contract was let and the church was completed in 1857. It was called The
Union Church and was used by several denominations. It is still non-denominational and is called Community Church.
In May of 2000, Chris and Jeff Anderson visited Norristown in their genealogy quest. At that time there were no
merchants in town, and the post office had been closed, converted to a residence some time previous. The town consisted
of approximately 20 single family residences.
Note: Taken from History of Shelby County written in 1882 by Clarence Trimmell. Modified to reflect the current
date of June 6 2000.
