Things to see - The Old Washington Schoolhouse

Using the town’s school district funds and donated labor this school was finished in the spring of 1909. Its first graduating class in 1910 consisted of nine girls and no boys. Willard Nisson was the principal.


More on the Old Washington Schoolhouse
Immediately after the final organizational meeting held on May 7, 1857 to start the city of Washington the town was surveyed and the lot where the old school stands was set apart for the building of a bowery. It was used for meetings both religious and civil. In 1863 a relatively large adobe school building was built on this location and was used until the stone school and church was built in 1877. In 1907 or 1908 the school-chapel was overcrowded and it was decided to build this school. Using the town’s school district funds and donated labor this school was finished in the spring of 1909. Its first graduating class in 1910 consisted of nine girls and no boys. Willard Nisson was the principal.
We read from the Washington City Homecoming July 2,3,4,1983. “Rock was quarried by Julius Hannig and Charlie Hall from the quarry in the area south of the present new school on 300 East. Teams and wagons hauled the rocks to the school site where they were dressed by 10 to 15 of our local men.
The masons who laid the rock walls were Herman Tegan and Ira S. McMullin, with John Tanner doing most of the hod-carrying, although Neils Sandburg was a smaller part of that effort. When the height of the walls became too great, James (Shorty) Watters used an “A” frame with a little sorrel mare for power to hoist the rocks to the necessary level – quite an achievement that high. Carpenter work was contracted to Charles Stoney who had been principal for two years prior to this project. Some of the lumber he used was hauled by Elisha Iverson and could have come from any of several mills around here.
This building looks today much as it did at the time of completion, except for the gymnasium which was added onto the original in 1924.
In the spring of 1910 as the first term taught in the school was ending, planting on the grounds were made.