York #4, Williamsburg

This school is now used as a barn, and there was a bovine inside when I photographed it!  From Williamsburg, proceed east on County Road F46 about five miles to T Ave, and then turn south.  Continue south, and the school will be 1/2 mile south of 245th Street on the west side of the road.

Photos taken on 7/28/11

UPDATE 8/2/17.  This building apparently collapsed during storms by summer 2017.

The School House, Swedesburg

The following information is on the wall at the Swedesburg History Museum:
"This building was built in 1893 in the 'public square.'  Since it was built to be used for a female academy or other school, for many years it was called 'The School House.'  In 1898 the Swedesburg Academy was founded and located in this building.  However, the Academy only operated for three years and closed in 1901."
A painting accompanies this description, showing the original appearance of this school.

The school is located on the southwest corner of Park St. and Academy Ave.  It has been highly modified and is now used as a parish hall for many events.  The north side of the school, which has the belfry, has a large porch and entry way added to it, while the south side has had a large addition built against it.

Photographs taken on 7/23/11

West Pleasant Lawn #3, Mt. Pleasant

On the north edge of the Old Threshers Grounds, in Snipe Village.  It was originally located "a little west" of Mt. Pleasant. Used into the 1950s.  These photos were taken on 7/23/11.

Colfax #8, Mt. Pleasant

Originally located in Canaan Township in northeast Henry County, this school was moved to the Old Threshers Grounds in 1974.  This building was constructed in 1887 after the previous building burned in 1886.  It was used until the end of the 1948-1949 school year.  The school is located on the southern section of the grounds, at the north end of the campground.

Photo taken on 7/23/11

Oak Ridge School, Mt. Pleasant

Located on the Old Threshers Grounds, on the south side, in Log Village.  Relocated here from near Donnellson.  Built about 1840, it is a log school.  However, the roof was leaking, causing a section of the walls to deteriorate, so in 2010 it was repaired and covered with walnut siding.  So in this photo it looks like a new building, but it is really just an old one covered for protection.

Photo taken on 7/23/11

Franklin Independent School

This school is found in Franklin, on the northeast corner of Main Street and 204th Street (Franklin Eighth Street).  It is not a one-room school, but it is very interesting nevertheless.  It was built in 1873, closed in 1961,  and is now the city hall.  We photographed this school on 7/23/11.

The following photo taken when the school was being used is provided via Val Root:

Franklin Township District No. 2, Donnellson

On old US218, about 1/2 mile north of Donnellson, at the "Evangelical Cemetery."  The stone above the door reads: "District No. 2, 1874."  It was closed in 1934.

At the rear of the school a door has been cut into the stone and a pit-toilet restroom has been walled off from the rest of the building.  It looks like it was probably done in the past 30-40 years.  The blackboard still exists on the back wall of this closet-sized room.

Another door has been carved into the south side at the front of the building.  This one goes through where a window used to be, and the top of the window with a ratty blind is still above the door.  This door gives access to the inside of the building, which is used for storage.  Two driving mowers are stored there, as well as lots of junk.  The old electric furnace is there, as is a radiator from previous boiler heat, which itself replaced a wood-burning unit.

Photographed on 7/23/11

Viele School, Donnellson

This school has been moved to its present location at the Lee County Fairgrounds.  I was unable to learn where it was originally located.  The fairgrounds are on the north side of Donnellson, and the school is easily seen from the highway (old US218).

Hickory Grove School, Keokuk

This is a nicely restored school near the Keokuk airport.  It is just west of US218 on Iowa SR960/243rd Ave (old US218) at the junction with Walker Lane, about 1/2 mile south of county J82.  The plaque above the door says, "The Hickory Grove School, Dist. No. 3, 1870."  Apparently, this school may have also been used as a church - it sits next to the Hickory Grove Cemetery.  The pump still works but there is a sign on it which says to not drink the water.

Photos taken 7/23/11

Sumner Township #6

This school was originally located on the corner of the Lawrence Heitmann farm, and sat on the SE corner of 210th St. and J Ave.  According to information in Owen Jones' book, One-Room School Houses: Iowa County, Iowa 1844 - 1966, "After closing at the end of the term in 1957, the school building was moved 1/2 mile north  and is still being used as a machine shed on the Steve Heitmann farm."  It sits behind the house (east of the house) and faces south.  Also according to the book, Heitmann still has the original merry-go-round from the playground.

The shortest way to locate this school would be to use County Highway V66 between Marengo and I-80.  About a mile north of I-80 is 210th St, on which you need to proceed west.  210th dead-ends at J Ave.  Farm address is 2046 J Ave.

This first photo is scanned from the above mentioned book just so you can see what the school originally looked like.

The next two photos were taken from J Ave.  The first shows the school's location relative to the house, while the second shot is zoomed up on the school.

This last shot was taken from 210th St, which with the distance from J Ave would make it about 3/4 mile away.  I just thought this was a good shot to show how it fits on the farm.

Stumptown, Sumner Township #1

The book we have which told us about this school is a big ambiguous as to its original location.  The question is whether it is located on its original site or if it has been move a block east.  I guess if I went and knocked on the door the owner could have told me, but didn't feel comfortable with that.

This school is located on the SW corner of 172nd St and I Ave.  Drive east of Ladora on U.S. 6 for about 1.5 - 2 miles (we came via gravel back roads) to HH Ave and turn south to 172nd, and then proceed east about 1/2 mile to I Ave.  The school has been converted into a home.

Bertram Township #6

This is one we've driven past many times and finally, today (7/6/11) we stopped and asked the owner about it and received gracious permission to be on her property to photograph this school.  It is located on the north side of U.S. Highway 30, just west of where it becomes 4-lane west of Mt. Vernon.  There is a cross street on the south side of the highway - Cedar River Rd - and the school is located .15 mile west of that junction.  The fire number for the owner's house on this lot is 1223.

This school is on its original location and was converted into a garage.  It has new windows in the original casements, and vinyl siding all around.  The front of the school, now a garage door, is facing south towards U.S. 30.

Cedar Township #2, Sutliff

This school is now used as a community center.  Proceed north out of Solon on SR1 to 140th Street and then turn east.  Sutliff Road joins 140th from the south as you proceed eastbound, and when Sutliff turns north 140th continues on gravel eastbound - stay on Sutliff.  After the road turns back east you will see the Sutliff Cemetery on the north side of the road; the school is on the east side of the cemetery.  We photographed the school on 7/4/11.

Cedar Township #3, Maple Grove

Drive north of Solon on SR1 to 120th Street and turn east, proceeding for 1.9 miles to Taft Ave.  The school sits on the southeast corner, facing west.  The first photo was taken so as to view the north side of the building.  No windows are on this side:

This next shot is the south side taken from the SW corner of the building:

This is the front/west side and you can see the front door and single window.  Dense brush and trees on this side makes for difficult photography:

This last photo is of the back of the school, the east side.  You can see through the windows to the south side windows and through them.  

Photos originally taken on 7/4/11, and retaken on 11/30/11 replacing the earlier shots.

UPDATE 11/12/19: This school was demolished in either 2018 or 2019.

Big Grove #2, Hazel Green

To find this school you must proceed north out of Solon on SR1 to 120th Street, and then turn west go 2.1 miles.  This school is on the north side of 120th.  As you can see, the front wall is missing and it is being used as a storage shed.  Photos taken 7/4/11

Update 2/7/15:  A photo of this school in operation can be found here:

http://elyhistory.blogspot.com/search/label/Schools

Marshall Center #5, Cedar Falls

Another school photographed on 6/29/11.  This one is in Cedar Falls on the University of Northern Iowa campus.  On 23rd St., one block east of Hudson Rd, set back on the south side of 23rd at Minnesota St.
This school was moved a long distance, originally being located near Laurens in Pocahontas County.  It was built in either 1893 or 1898 - two signs giving two dates - and used until 1944.

For a very complete history of this school, go to https://ruralschools.uni.edu/marshall-center-school

Bennington #6, Waterloo

This school was moved to its present location from Bennington Township, northeast of Waterloo.  It is currently located in Waterloo on the National Cattle Congress Fairgrounds on Ansborough Ave.  It was used from 1914 until 1945.  These photos were taken on 6/29/11

Bennington #4

To locate this school, travel north of Waterloo for a few miles to Bennington Rd (2nd road past County Road C66), then turn east.  Travel east about 2 miles to Sage Rd.  The school is on the NE corner of this intersection.  In this first photo you can see the original wood shed on the right, the original girl's outhouse back left, and a new "porta-potty" on the far left, covered with a wooden structure, at the original location for the boy's outhouse.  This school operated from 1911 until 1955.

The landowner-farmer, Steve Sage, invited us to tour the inside. Mr. Sage attended this school from 1945 until 1953 and for a while used this school as a hay barn, as this photo from their display shows:

Mr. Sage still had the school bell on his property, and brought it back several years ago when many volunteers decided to restore this school.  This is a photo of the school during its active days:

The following photos show the restored building as we photographed it on 6/29/11:

This next photo is of the interior during the last school year with an electric furnace:

The next two photos show the restored interior, with new flooring and older wood-burning stove, as well as the original ceiling: