1876: School completed and was opened for the first class, due to the large growth in the town caused by the jobs available at the mills.
1900: Town's mills were closing and the population started to dramatically drop. The school only used first floor classroom.
1940s: The exterior was painted gray, indoor bathrooms were installed, a coal furnace was placed in basement, electric lights were installed, playground equipment was installed, fire escapes were placed on outside of the building, and janitors were hired to clean rooms. Due to another boom in population caused by the end of WWII, the class size was outgrowing the building. By the late 1940's, only kindergarten through third grade were taught at the one-room schoolhouse.
1949: Coralville Central opens, replaces schoolhouse.
1950-1951: Coralville Central only taught 7th and 8th grade students, and was opened for only another year.
1951-1976: The old schoolhouse was used as a teen center and was later utilized as storage for Coralville Central.
1976: Johnson County Historical Society begins restorations.
1983: Opened as Johnson County Heritage Center.
2001: Opened as 1876 Coralville Schoolhouse Museum.
All text and photos courtesy of the Johnson County Historical Society |
Click to view larger image:Coralville School 1880
Click to view larger image: Class of 1951
Click to view larger image: Schoolhouse as Teen Center
Click to see larger image: Display at schoolhouse showing the books that were used and the importance of chalk.
|
