Pilot #8, Boland School

Originally located on south side of 270th St between MM Ave and N Ave.  Sold in 1947 and moved 3.25 miles west and converted into a house.  In 1951 the school was moved into Williamsburg at 206 Madison Street, NW corner of Maple St.  First photo is looking NW, house facing east.

Photographed 2/18/12

Pilot #3, Colton School

Built 1913, closed 1947.  Purchased early 1954 and remodeled into a home with several additions.  It became a parsonage for the church across the street in 1968.  Located on the NE corner of 230th St and H Ave (CR V52), about 1.5 miles south of I-80.

In this first photo, the original school is the back section with the two windows.

This view shows the additions on the south and east sides of the original building.

This is the north side of the building, showing a window added in the back.

Photographed 11/5/11

Lincoln #7, Riverside School

Built 1879.  Closed for the 1949-1950 school year, then reopened for 1950-1951 school year before closing permanently.  Based on two photos of the school while in service, we discovered that the front porch entry was a later addition in its life.  From Millersburg, proceed north on CR V52 to 266th St, then turn west.  Proceed west to CR V48 (G Ave/216th St) and turn south to 270th Street, and turn west.  Proceed one mile to F Ave and the school is on the NE corner.  Derelict.  Construction along the road on the corner will probably end up with this school torn down soon.

Looking towards the front of the building, through a burned-out side window.

The original entrance door inside the porch.

Photographed 11/5/11

UPDATE 10/14/15:   We learned at a country school conference this past weekend that this school has been torn down.

Lincoln #5, Lincoln Center School

 Closed in 1927.  Used as a voting hall until 1994.  During this period the front doors were sealed and a door was installed on the south side of the building where the center window was located.  Two north windows also were sealed.  From Victor, proceed south on CR V38 (B Ave) south of I-80 to 250th Street and turn east.  Proceed two miles to D Ave.  The school is located on the SW corner, facing east, although the original doors are covered.  Externally maintained.

This first photo is of the south side with the newer door.

This is the front of the school, with the doors sealed.

Looking through  the rear window at the back of the school with original blackboards.

Here is another interior view showing the boarded up window on the left; there is a twin to that one on the other side of the remaining window.

This view from the one remaining north window shows an old voting "booth," and behind it you can see one of the sealed front doors.

In this last view, seen from the SE window, you can see one sealed front door on the right side of the photo and the other sealed door on the far side of the room.

Photographed 11/5/11

Lincoln #1, Pleasant Ridge School

This school closed in 1949.  It is located about 4.5 miles south-southwest of Ladora.  Proceed south of Ladora on G Ave (CR V48) to 230th St (one mile south of I-80), then turn west one mile.  The school is on the north side of the road, used for storage, and is in bad shape.

Photographed 11/5/11

Lincoln #3, Victor

Originally located about 4 miles south of Victor at the NW corner of B Ave (CR V38) and 230th St.  In 1952 this school was purchased and moved into Victor and converted into a house, now located on the NE corner of 6th St and County Line Road. In this first photo the original school runs from side to side, with the addition of a porch.

Here you can see the small addition on the left side of the photo.

Here you can see the large addition on the east side of the house.

Photographed 11/5/11

Iowa #7

South of Amana  From JCT US6 and US151 North, about 1/4 mile east of US151 is W Ave; turn south on W four miles to 210th St and turn east.  Proceed .6 miles east and the school will be on the north side, facing east.  It is now a residence with an addition on the south side.  Originally located .5 mile east at the NE corner of 210th St and Y Ave.  Fire number address is 3261.

Photographed 10/22/11

Iowa #5, Iowa Center School

South of Amana.  From JCT US6 and US151 South, proceed south on US151 2.5 miles to 190th St and turn east.  School will be .6 mile east of US151 on the north side facing west, now used as a machine shed.  Originally located .4 mile east at the NW corner of 190th St. and V Ave.  The school closed in 1924 and was used as a township hall and as a 4-H club meeting house.  In the late 1940s the township meeting place changed to Amana.  In 1960 the school was auctioned for $400 and moved to a new cement foundation, raised two feet and the floor removed.  A large door was installed on the west side.  The blackboard and chimney remain on the east side of the building.

Photographed 10/22/11

UPDATE 8/2/17:  This building was demolished by 2017.

Iowa #4, Conroy.

Conroy is a small village about 5 miles north of Williamsburg.  This school is located on the east side of Conroy on NE corner of D St (190th St) and 10th Ave, facing east.  Originally located three miles east at the NW corner of 190th St. and T Ave.  Residence, address is 1021 D St.  The school closed in 1932.

Photographed 10/22/11

Hilton #3, Fairview School

Built in 1883, about one mile southeast of town. Abandoned in 1949.  The building and land was purchased by the farmer on the adjacent land and he remodeled it into a house.

To remodel into a house, they turned it 90 degrees away from its north/south orientation.  Then they cut the studs by four feet to give the house eight-foot walls, which required the roof to be rebuilt at a lower pitch.  The foundation walls were raised 18 inches and excavation was done to provide a basement garage, and three rooms downstairs.  They kept the original flooring over the 10-inch joists; over the years three different layers of flooring had been laid!

From Marengo, proceed south on CR V66 to 160th St, then turn east.  The house is just a short distance on the south side of 160th St. 

Information about the house, and the photos of the original school and the floor plan for the house are scanned from Owen Jones' book, One-Room School Houses: Iowa County, Iowa, 1844-1966.

This photo is of the west end of the house, which is an addition to the original building.

In the following photo of the house, the original school section is to the left of the chimney, as seen from the above floor plan.

Photographed on 10/1/11

Hilton #2, Hilton School

This school was closed in 1917.  The building was then moved by horses to 2444 172nd St, about 3/4 mile west of its original location at the intersection of 172nd St and CR V77/SR149.  The school became an addition behind a house.  From Marengo, proceed east on US 6 to SR149/CR V77, then proceed south to 172nd St.  Proceed about 3/4 mile west and the the house will be on the south side of the road.  The school/addition is not visible from the road because it is in the back.

The first two photos are scanned from Owen Jones' book, One-Room School Houses: Iowa County, Iowa 1844-1966.  The first photo shows what the school looked like, and Owen says the source of the photo is unknown.  The second photo was provided to Owen by the current homeowner, showing the back of the house.  

The last photo, taken from 172nd St, shows the front of the house, but the addition is not visible, and when I took the photo I did not want to trespass on the property.

Photographed 10/1/11

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.

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.

Hartford #4

This school closed in 1953, and was moved 1/2 mile west from its original location at the northeast corner of 210th Street and F Avenue, where it is now used as a cattle barn on the south side of the road.  Also photographed today, it can be located by continuing east on 210th Street from Hartford #7.  One can also choose to arrive from Ladora by traveling south out of town on County Route V52 (G Avenue) until reaching 210th Street and then proceeding west.  In this photo, the school is the center section, and I believe the front of the school is where the open front is now.