The Vernon Township Country Schoolhouse was built in 1887 in Vernon Township, Wright County, Iowa. The Dows Historical Society and the Dows Community moved the building five miles from its original site and placed it on a permanent foundation near the Welcome Center and Mercantile. It was restored inside and out and is furnished with original desks, blackboards, and books. The grounds are planted with native trees and shrubs.
Pictured in the sliding photos are the current school and some of its students and workers.
The Vernon Schoolhouse #5 is a prime example of the schoolhouses that existed across Iowa during the late 19th and well into the 20th centuries. Classes in these one-room schools were typically through eighth grade with one teacher. There could be grades with no students or grades that had several, and those who went past the eighth grade would go to the "town" schools.
