Tag Archives: Winneshiek County

Schools

Locust School (Near Decorah, Iowa)

Locust School (Near Decorah, Iowa)

According to the outside historic marker, the stone Locust School building in rural Winneshiek County was in operation for 106 consecutive years, an Iowa record. Built in 1854 from local limestone, the school served the newly-settled village of Locust. In 1965, five years after the school’s closure, the Locust School Society was formed to preserve the historic one-room school building. It’s now operated by the Winneshiek County Historical Society and open to visitors Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4 p.m. each June through August.

Museums, Public Libraries

Public Library and City Museum (Fort Atkinson, Iowa)

The first library in the Winneshiek County town of Fort Atkinson was established in 1964 in a room on the first floor of the former public school building. It later moved to the building’s lower level and then to a portion of the fire department. In 1995, Fort Atkinson Public Library returned to the public school building, which had been fully refurbished. It shares space with the city museum.