National Register of Historic Places

Earlham Public School

Earlham, Madison County, Iowa
Listed
June 1, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002631

About this property

The Earlham Public School is a historic building located in Earlham, Iowa, United States. The town's name was chosen by the Quakers, who were the largest group of settlers in the community. They named it for Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana because they intended to establish a similar institution in the town. Fundraising got underway in 1869, and the following year plans were made to establish a public befitting a college town. Earlham Public School open in 1871. Jennings P. Osborn, a local builder, constructed the two-story structure of smooth-faced limestone that rests on rusticated limestone foundation. The building soon proved to be too small and a brick addition was added to the south side of the original building. The college plans fell through because of a lack of financing. The Quakers founded Earlham Academy in 1892 hoping it would grow into a college, but it did not. They sold the building to the local public school in 1900, and they used it for a high school. This building was used by the elementary grades. School districts were consolidated in 1920 and a larger building that could accommodate all grades was built in Earlham. This building was used from that point as a Masonic lodge until it was converted into a local museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Location

809 Main St.
Earlham, Madison County, Iowa
41.49123, -94.13468

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wilson, John, House
Industrial
2.5 mi
Wilson, Seth and Elizabeth, House
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2.6 mi
Ford, W. T., House
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2.6 mi
Allen, James, Stone Barn
Industrial
3.3 mi
Seerley, William and Mary (Messersmith) Barn and Milkhouse-Smokehouse
Industrial
4.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Earlham Public School listed on the National Register?

Earlham Public School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Earlham Public School?

Earlham Public School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Earlham Public School?

The period of significance for Earlham Public School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Earlham Public School?

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