Sauk Centre, MN. Image by RCompass all rights reserved.

This past weekend I stumble upon an open house tour of a beautifully staged one-room schoolhouse.

These historic buildings are a piece of  American history, signifying early settlements in rural communities across the United States. Before the construction of a more modern school building and the convenience of being driven to school in large orange buses. Children would walk or ride horse (sleigh and buggy) to a small schoolhouse that consisted of a singular room where multiple grades were taught by one teacher.

Many of these structures have been lost over the last century; burned, left to decay, torn down, salvaged for parts and even re-purposed as single family homes. However, some have been saved for special events, school field trips, history day classes and community museums-open to the public like the one my son and I visited in Sauk Centre, MN. We would like to thank the kind retired school teacher who talked about her years as a teacher and shared her story with us.

If you are interested in learning more about these iconic structures, the One-Room Schoolhouse Center website was created in 1998 and provides a host of information about early education in the United States. Tip: Click on the “Villages/Museum” link to find a site near you.

Shoolhouse Interior. Image by RCompass all rights reserved.

Shoolhouse Interior. Image by RCompass all rights reserved.