Local History Network Spotlight: Central School in Lake City

From time to time, this blog features member organizations of the Local History Network, a statewide program the State Historical Society of Iowa offers to help museums, genealogical societies, archives and other historical organizations connect with fellow stewards of Iowa history. We thank the team at Central School in Lake City for submitting the following feature and encourage others to follow their lead. Email us at local.history@iowa.gov.

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us,” Winston Churchill noted. That’s certainly the case with historic Central School, which has remained a center of learning in Lake City for nearly 140 years. This rare architectural gem was designed by architects Foster & Liebbe of Des Moines. When it opened in 1884, the brick schoolhouse contained four classrooms. The west wing, built in 1897, added four more rooms to Central School, which housed grades 1–12.

After Lake City High School was built on a separate campus in 1904, Central School remained a grade school until the building was closed in 1980. A dedicated group of volunteers saved Central School, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. These preservationists transformed Central School into a museum to showcase the stories of small-town, rural Iowa through the eyes of those who lived it, from railroaders to farmers to educators and entrepreneurs. Feel like a kid again when you step into the kindergarten classroom, which honors Hester Crosswait, who taught generations of kindergartners. Other classrooms tell the story of Lake City’s rich heritage as a medical center and agricultural community.

More than a museum, Central School is a cultural center that offers meeting space and an annual lecture series, with topics ranging from Iowa’s Carnegie libraries to Iowa’s lost history on the Titanic. In 2019, the volunteer board of Central School Preservation created the Preservation Champion Award, which is awarded annually to a community member who understands the next generation can inherit only the places we choose to save.

We invite you to come visit us at Central School, which is handicapped-accessible and open weekdays from 9:30 am until 11:30 a.m. Visits and tours at other times can be arranged by emailing Darcy Maulsby, Central School Preservation board president, at yettergirl@yahoo.com.