Locust School benefit and reunion

The annual “One-room School Reunion” usually held at Locust School has been moved to the Winneshiek Wildberry Winery Sunday, April 23, from 2:30-4 p.m. This year’s program will be a tribute to the one-room schoolteachers and their contribution to the community. Those attending will be entertained by live music by Little Dale’s Memory Band, presentations of memories from teachers’ interviews and of course, the very popular pie auction with Steve Darrington.

The Locust School, 1640 Big Canoe Road, Decorah, will be open for tours until 5 p.m. that day. The 1854 Locust School is on the National Register of Historic Places and was in continuous use for over 108 years – a record for one-room schools in Iowa. The Locust School Committee of the Winneshiek County Historical Society are caretakers of the property and host elementary school student field trips each year, as well as touring social groups looking for pioneer history. Beginning June 1 through Labor Day, the school is open 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each weekend day, and is located on the Driftless Trail.

The group has recently completed rebuilding the outer east wall of the school to ensure the building remains stable and accessible for generations to come. This project was funded in part from a State Historic Preservation Cultural and Entertainment District Tax Credit, and donations in addition to the funds raised through events like the benefit and reunion.  

Proceeds from this event will be used for the restoration of the wall unit and eight large world maps used to teach children about the world in which they lived.

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