County supervisors endorse National Register of Historic Places application for Highlandville School

Winneshiek County supervisors have unanimously endorsed starting the process of applying for National Register of Historic Places status for the Highlandville School.

Winneshiek County Historic Preservation Commission member David Stanely told supervisors Monday the double room side by side former schoolhouse deserves the status because "There just aren't many more of them around."  Stanley says the school is also special because it is a village schoolhouse, rather than a rural schoolhouse. 

Historic Preservation Commission Chair Steven Johnson said it's possible to see the evolution of education through the example of the Highlandville School.  "Those schools did change as the population change," he said of rural schoolhouses.

The application to State of Iowa officials states, "Constructed in 1911, the
building is a well intact example of how rural residents provided educational opportunities to students in an area of low population. The school stands as a reminder of Iowa's drive to promote knowledge, particularly in rural areas."

The application will be sent to Des Moines for review in October.  Also in October, Decorah will host a conference on rural school histories.