Written by Big Rock Historical Society with editing by Preservation Partners.
Figure 1. The “Red School” in Big Rock Township, 1901. Photo provided by the Big Rock Historical Society.
Between 1860 and the 1920s nine one-room schoolhouses were recorded on plat maps in Big Rock, Illinois township. The “Red School” (see Figure 1) was located on the corner of Scott and Davis Roads in Big Rock and was in use from the 1860s until 1922 when all of Big Rock’s schools were consolidated at the new elementary and high school built in town.
After the consolidated school districts were formed after the 1946-1947 school year, one-room schoolhouses, including the restored Sholes School at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, were obsolete. In approximately 1959 the long-abandoned “Red School” was relocated a few hundred yards to a nearby farm and used as a garage and outbuilding (see Figure 2).
Figure 2. The “Red School” in Big Rock Township, 2022. Photo provided by the Big Rock Historical Society.
In June 2023, a fire on the farm on Scott Road nearly destroyed the structure. A local farmer generously donated the schoolhouse to the Big Rock Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. That summer a group of local volunteers meticulously labeled, dismantled, and relocated the salvageable components of the structure for safe storage.
The plan now is to construct a faithful restoration of the original Red School displayed in the 1901 photo in Figure 1, using as much of the original materials as possible. It will be located on the Big Rock Historical Society’s property adjacent to the Big Rock Museum and Library at 48W445 Hinckley Road in Big Rock township. The reconstructed school will serve as a component of the museum’s school exhibit and be used as an educational exhibit to demonstrate what it was like to attend a one-room school over one hundred years ago.
And the Big Rock Historical Society could use your help!
The Society has continued efforts to generate funds to reconstruct the Red School and has begun requesting bids and firming up construction plans. The Society’s focus is on involving local businesses and trades in the project.
Plans are proceeding for construction to begin this Spring! A talented volunteer group from the community will be needed for the rough framing of the structure.
If you would like to volunteer for the reconstruction of the Big Rock Red School, please call the Society at (630) 698-0626. Donations and other inquiries on the project can be mailed to the Big Rock Historical Society, PO Box 206, Big Rock IL 60511.
Don’t let a piece of local history be lost.
HELP SAVE THE BIG ROCK RED SCHOOL!
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