In operation from 1878 to 1962, this versatile one-room schoolhouse is now preserved by Monticello Community Historical Society.
Opened for class in January 1878, this schoolhouse soon became a center for culture and community for people of all ages. Besides being a home for grades 1-8, the little building housed religious services and a Sunday school. Louis A. Gleason conducted a writing school and the building was home to a Lyceum—a popular 19th century institution where the community enjoyed debates and programs.
Around 1900, when school districts were upgrading their one-room schoolhouses, Virginia added a vestibule to buffer outdoor winds and a place where students could hang their coats, leave their lunches, use the wash basin, and find drinking water.
The school operated until 1962. The Virginia School building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in February 2004 and moved a year later to its current location on the grounds of the Mize Elementary School.
Interpreted by appointment. Call for guided tour.
7301 Mize Road
Shawnee, KS 66227
National Register of Historic Places