# Origins of "Little Red Schoolhouse"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 1, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481 "2003-07-01T01:40:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aykroyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb8c5e/32.png) [@aykroyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aykroyd)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/1 "2003-07-01T01:40:53Z")

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I’m trying to determine the origin of the phrase “little red schoolhouse”. Obviously, it most likely comes from the fact that one-room schoolhouses were painted red. My question is more along the lines of “WHY were they painted red?” Is this a uniquely American thing?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/2 "2003-07-01T01:45:21Z")

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Probably for the same reason that [barns were painted red](http://www.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm).

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/3 "2003-07-01T01:46:50Z")

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Probably for the same reasons barns were painted red. One theory being that red paint was cheap, and easy to manufacture:

> **[Why are barns usually painted red?](https://home.howstuffworks.com/question635.htm)**
>
> Historically, "barn red" is not the bright, fire-engine red that we often see today, but more of a burnt-orange red. How did rural American barns suddenly turn crimson?

I’m going to guess that rural schoolhouses tended to get painted in the same way.

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/4 "2003-07-01T01:48:00Z")

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Well, that’s two of us that think so - we even dug up the same link to simulpost.

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**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/5 "2003-07-01T02:35:12Z")

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If you need further confirmation, the explanation of cheap, red paint is also the explanation given at the [Old Sturbridge Village](http://www.osv.org/) interactive museum (although they do not mention it on their web site).

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-of-little-red-schoolhouse/185481/6 "2003-07-01T02:47:58Z")

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And all those barns, bridges and schoolhouses are out in the country nestled amongst the greenery, and, like, red and green just kinda, like, ya’ know, go together, dontcha think?

[sub]Ouch! Ouch!! Quit _throwing_ things![/sub]