Earlham Public School

The Earlham Public School is a historic building located in Earlham, Iowa, United States. The town's name was chosen by the Quakers, who were the largest group of settlers in the community.[2] They named it for Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana because they intended to establish a similar institution in the town. Fundraising got underway in 1869, and the following year plans were made to establish a public befitting a college town. Earlham Public School open in 1871. Jennings P. Osborn, a local builder, constructed the two-story structure of smooth-faced limestone that rests on rusticated limestone foundation. The building soon proved to be too small and a brick addition was added to the south side of the original building.

Earlham Public School
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The brick addition to the school.
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Location	809 Main St. Earlham, Iowa
Coordinates	41°29′31″N 94°07′16″W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1871
Built by	Jennings P. Osborn
MPS	Legacy in Stone: The Settlement Era of Madison County, Iowa TR
NRHP reference No.	82002631[1]
Added to NRHP	June 2, 1982

The college plans fell through because of a lack of financing. The Quakers founded Earlham Academy in 1892 hoping it would grow into a college, but it did not.[2] They sold the building to the local public school in 1900, and they used it for a high school. This building was used by the elementary grades. School districts were consolidated in 1920 and a larger building that could accommodate all grades was built in Earlham. This building was used from that point as a Masonic lodge until it was converted into a local museum. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1]