 | |
| Historic Willows School Society, Inc. |
| | |
| Contact: | John Brandenburg, President |
| Phone: | (719) 783-2388 |
| Email: | Email |
| Mailing Address: | P.O. Box 383, Westcliffe, CO, 81252 |
| Physical Address: | 495 County Road 141, Westcliffe, CO, 81252 |
| | |
Willows School, Spring 1892, Westcliffe, Colorado. Left to right. Front row: Denzel Isabell, Charlie Petri, Frank Kohl, Wm Sam Isabell, Hamilton Isabell, Eric Jeske, Joe Allard, Jean Henderson, Frank Houch. Second row: George Hiltman, Joe Kohl, Theresa Kohl, Rose Hiltman, Amelia Kitzman, Ollie Pitzer, Flora Allard, Daphna Isabell, Georgia Houch, Clara Hiltman, Metta Jeske, Julia Petri. Back row: Sam Isabell, John Schick, Frank Schick (child in arms), Ferd Emil Kohl, Carrie Petri, Anna Hiltman, Emma Jessie Lloyd, Julia Kohl, Mary Kohl, George Roberts (teacher), Mertia Schneider, Lena Allard, Martha Binkleman, Gretta Kuehn, Pamela Allard, Fredrich Kohl, John Hiltman.
| "The Willows" one-room country school located six-and-a-half-miles west of Westcliffe,
Colorado dates back to pioneer times. Constructed in 1889 for Custer County's School
District Number 15, it replaced the original outgrown log building erected in 188O. It is
the only clapboard rural school yet standing in its original location in the county. In fact,
all other country schools have been bulldozed, converted to private cottages, moved or
left to crumble with age. Inside, old chipped chalkboards grace the pine-wood walls.
Many of the original oak and cast iron two-seater desks line the perimeter. The wood
stove still stands at the front of the classroom, its stovepipe removed from the brick
chimney. On the front stoop parts of the old hand water pump remain.
|
| | |
| This school was a hub of activity serving its community both as a public school facility,
and as a civic and social events center from 1880 until 1948 when it was declared surplus
due to county school consolidation. Sewing and quilting bees, box socials, weekend
dances, reunions, funeral wakes, political rallies -a polling precinct- were among the
usual activities. |
| |
| Then in 2001 a group of concerned neighborhood residents - all direct descendants of
Willow District pioneer families - incorporated The Willows property. Its present
corporate title is: The Historic Willows School Society, Inc. In 2004 a 501(c)3
tax-exempt status was attained. The building gained listing on both the National and
Colorado Registers of Historic Places on December 9, 1992. Exhibited on the school's
front is an impressive brass plaque commemorating its role in the educational, social and
civic lives of the community. The Society has been awarded a $5,500 grant from the State
Historical Fund to complete an Historic Assessment of the building. Follwing completion
of this assessment, work is planned to restore the building and make it more useable for
the community. |
| |
 | Watercolor by local artist Jim Jones, Fall 2006.
|
 | Plaque Dedication June 2001, Photograph by local photographer Bill Gillette.
|
|
