Musfeldt School

Located at the Plagman’s Barn Museum on CR C7X east of Garber, at the intersection of Ironwood Rd.  No information as to where it was located from.

Photographed 10/22/16

Elk Township #?

This stone school is SW of Elkport on county route C7X, on the SW corner of Hawk Ave.  The address is 34557 Hawk Ave, and it is used as a home.

Photographed 10/22/16

Millville School, Millville

Moved about .5 mile south of original location on US52, it is on the south side of town at the NW corner of US52 and Graham Rd.  Was used for a while by the AMVETS and American legion, and was also used as a town hall and polling place.  Now a honey sales office.

Photographed 10/10/11

Pleasant Ridge/WIllie School, Guttenberg

 Located on east side of CR X56 4-miles north of the Guttenberg city limit sign, 4.5 miles north of Marina Rd.  Faces south.   Built 1893, closed 1954.  Stone structure covered with pebble dash texture.  Has original furnishings and bell.  New roof.

Photographed 10/10/11

Clayton School, Clayton

Two-story stone structure built 1860, closed 1963.  K-8th grade used first floor, high school used second.  A wooden high school was later built in the lot immediately north, but is no longer extant.  In 2011 a new roof and windows were installed, paid for by the county gaming commission.  Clayton is east of County Road X56 on the Mississippi River, and the school is on the street along the river. 

Photographed 10/10/11

Giard #5, Froelich

This little town is on US18 between McGregor and Monona, a bit over a half-mile west of the junction with US52.  The school was built in 1866 and was originally on a knoll nearby, and then moved not far to a local farm at the end of the 1953-1954 school year.  Years later it was moved into Froelich to be part of a historical collection.  There is still writing on the blackboard from the last day of school, and the original furnishings are still inside.

The following photos were posted on the wall of the school to show how it was moved to its present location.  I thought they were quite interesting so I am posting them here.  I believe the first shot was at its original location on the knoll, while the rest are of it being moved from the farm.

School photographed 10/3/11

Unknown Schools, Spook Cave

From Monona, proceed east on US18 about .5 mile east of the junction with US52 to Spook Cave Road, and follow that road north to the campground.  The store is two schools attached, one perpendicular to the other.  The sales person said one school came from nearby while the other came from several miles away, and they were moved to this location about 1955.  It appears that the end of the school on the right side in the photo below is actually the front, since it looks like a central door with windows on each side.  It also appears as if that roof has been lowered to better join the other building.

This next photo is slightly blurred - I really need to watch that auto-focus!  It is as you walk in the door, looking to the back of the first school.  you can see where the chimney was, and there is the dais for the teacher's desk.  Another door has been cut into the side.  Also, as you walk in the door, you can easily see on the floor where a wall was removed; it was the small coat room between the front door and the class room, and had a door on each side.

This shot is looking into the other school where the gift shop is located.

Photographed 10/3/11

Clayton Center School

This school was brick (William Sherman’s book, Iowa's Country Schools: Landmarks of Learning, has a photo of kids standing outside of it), so the building has been sided.  It is now a radio station and has additions on the north and west sides.  From Elkader, proceed north on SR13 about 2 miles to SR 128, and go east about 3 miles.  The school is on the north side of the road.

Photographed 10/3/11

Littleport School

From Elkader, proceed south on SR13 about 2 miles to County Road X3C and turn east.  Proceed about 2 miles to CR X21 and proceed south to Littleport.  This school, at 155 W. Main, was used a the public library for a while, but is now trashed and full of all sorts of junk.

Photographed 10/3/11

UPDATE 11/13/16:  This school was burned for firefighter training in the summer of 2016.

Catechism Confirmation School

Built in 1908 for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Garnavillo (about 13 miles northeast), it was relocated to the Iowa Welcome Center complex about five miles south of Elkader on SR13, having been donated in 1989. 

Photographed 10/3/11

Cox Creek School

Built ca. 1872, last class was 1952 and then it became the township hall. Located on east side State Highway 13, just north of Emblem Rd (CR C5X), about 6 miles south of Elkader. Faces south.  Has dais and chalkboard still.

Photographed 10/3/11

Volga, IA

I don't remember where we picked up an advertisement for this place - probably Decorah, but we decided to see this quilt and tea shop.  It's about a 2-hour drive from our house through some really pretty country.  We went there on October 24, 2009, expecting to have lunch, only to find it closed for some reason.  We have since tried to get more information, but get no responses to calls or e-mails, so we wonder if something happened to the owners.

This is actually TWO schools.  The stone school is on its original site, and was built in 1868.  The wooden school was moved here from near by.  The stone addition is on the side of the stone school and attaches to the front of the wooden one.  It is located a bit over a mile west of Volga on County Road C2W.  The first close shot is of the stone school, and then the shots will show a walk-around the back to the joining of the school and then end up in front again.  The front door of the stone addition has a lot of etchings, but we got one shot looking through the glass to see the front of the wooden school.