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National and State Registers of Historic Places

Lone Star School, District 64

Picture of property Rural Route, 1 1/4 mile West of Bison Ave M
Bison Vicinity (Rush County)
Listed in National Register Jan 22, 2009

Architect: Mertz, Henry (Contractor)
Category: school; religious facility; clubhouse
Thematic Nomination: Historic Public Schools of Kansas

Built in 1879, the Lone Star School building is located on a one-acre plot west of Bison in rural Rush County. With help from the community, contractor Henry Mertz and carpenter Henry Rogers built the dual-purpose building for school activities during the week and church services on Sundays. Typical of early one-room schoolhouses, this limestone building features a simple rectangular form with a gable roof with little architectural ornamentation. A wood-frame vestibule was added to the front of the building in the early 20th century. Early schoolhouses like this are often classified as vernacular in style. Grades one through eight attended school here until 1947 when area school districts consolidated. The property, which includes a coal shed and outhouse, is nominated for its associations with early public education in Kansas and for its architectural significance as a good example of an early vernacular one-room schoolhouse. It is nominated as part of the "Historic Public Schools of Kansas" Multiple Property Submission.



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