Sheldon, Iowa — Funds are being raised by the Prairie Arts Council to bring another historical country school house into Sheldon.
So far, donations of $17,000 have been received toward the $40,000 needed to bring in the schoolhouse. Prairie Arts Council president Hal Tuttle tells us how the ball got rolling with the Baker Township School. He says Bill Sherman, the author of Iowa’s Country Schools: Landmarks of Learning is a past Preservation Iowa board member and a historic country school expert. Tuttle says Sherman came to Sheldon and saw the three schoolhouses on the Prairie Arts Council Property this past summer.
So, Tuttle says the arts council started finding out how much it would cost them to move it into town. They talked to some house movers and they found out it would cost about $40,000 to move it in, and he says that’s when they started raising funds. He says the Sheldon Marketing Committee has given them $8000 in a grant, and they’re planning some sort of fundraiser to come up with some matching funds. He says they’ve sent out letters to people in Baker Township and the city of Sheldon, asking for donations to help preserve the building. They hope to move the building on April 1st.
He tells us what they plan on doing with the building.
The Prairie Arts Complex at 1423 Park Street — that’s Highway 18 — in Sheldon now includes: Sheldon’s First School (1873); the Nelson or Floyd Township Number 8 school (1878); Lynn Township, Sioux County school (1928-1932); the Dan McKay Pioneer Home (1863) used for the first church services in this area; and the Sears and Roebuck Catalog Home of Dick Wansink (about 1863).
Contributions of any amount can be made to the Prairie Arts Council, PO BOX 61, Sheldon, Iowa 51201.
For further details about the Prairie Arts Council or to arrange for tours of the buildings you can call Tuttle at 712-324-4190; or email hptuttle@nethtc.net.
You can also contact vice president Bernie Van’t Hul at 712-324-2100; Secretary Karin Vanden Berg at 712-324-9718; or Treasurer Mayor Trisha Meendering at the City Office.
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