Property Record
3705 S SWARTZ RD (aka 3800 S. Racine Ave)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Little Grove School |
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| Reference Number: | 239379 |
| Location (Address): | 3705 S SWARTZ RD (aka 3800 S. Racine Ave) |
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| County: | Waukesha |
| City: | New Berlin |
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| Year Built: | 1956 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2019 |
| Historic Use: | school-one to six room |
| Architectural Style: | Contemporary |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Concrete Block |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | The school was built in 1956 but closed in 1965; one of the two last two-room schools in operation in New Berlin. 2019 City of New Berlin survey recommendation write-up: Constructed of concrete block, the subject structure was originally built in 1956 as a two-room schoolhouse. Topped with a flat roof, the building features a double-door, wood-and-glass entrance along its S. Swartz Road (east) elevation; a flat-roof overhang shelters the stoop that fronts the doorway. Both the north and south ends of the building retain their original bank of multi-light windows; however, the lower level of the south end now carries an overhead garage door instead of an additional bank of windows (as evidenced from a historic photo of the school building). This building was constructed in 1956 and served as the District No. 8 School--known as Little Grove School--until its closing due to consolidation in 1965. A school has historically been located in District No. 8 since sometime during the Civil War (available records, however, do not start until 30 September 1867). A vote was taken in 1916 to build a new schoolhouse and it was handily defeated by a vote of 19 to 4. The following year, the school received a letter of condemnation and the much-needed improvements were made. It was not until 1952 that running water was installed, while a telephone followed in 1953. The following year, five acres were purchased from Harry Phillips in anticipation of building a new schoolhouse. In May 1956, construction of a new two-room schoolhouse—not to exceed $52,000--was authorized. Excavation began later that month. Although the exact date of its completion is not known, official dedication occurred on 26 May 1957. The school operated less than a decade, closing in 1965. It was, thereafter, used as an administrative center and later as a teen center. Most recently, the building was utilized as a religious facility, the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Historical & Architectural Resources Survey, City of New Berlin, Waukesha County, Wisconsin prepared by tes | Historical Consulting, LLC, 2019. Footnotes for 2019 City of New Berlin survey information provided below: An historic photo of the school is included in Juds and Totten, New Berlin, Wisconsin: From Country to City, A 20th Century History, 63. “Picnic and Dedication: District No. 8- Little Grove School, 1867-1956, 26 May 1957,” 7-page typescript in possession of the New Berlin Historical Society; Juds and Totten, New Berlin, Wisconsin, 57; “Schoolmen Listen But Promise Not,” Waukesha Daily Freeman, 25 February 1969, 2. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |