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1074 W Fond du Lac St

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Property Record

1074 W Fond du Lac St

Historic Name:
Little White Schoolhouse

Other Name:
LITTLE WHITE SCHOOLHOUSE

Reference Number:
27174

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Property Location

Location (Address)

1074 W Fond du Lac St

County

Fond du Lac

City/Village

Ripon

Township

Unincorporated community

Town

Range

Direction

Section

Quarter Section

Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built

1853

Additions

Survey Date

2001

Historic Use

school-one to six room

Architectural Style

Greek Revival

Structural System

Wall Material

Clapboard

Architect

Pratt & Atkins

Other Buildings On Site

Demolished

No

Demolished Date

Additional Comments

A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Builder was Alvan Bovay. CLAIMED AS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. NHL. HABS WI-15. In 1908, this building was moved from its original location at Thorne and E. Fond du Lac streets to the northwest corner of Ripon College. Moved to its present location in 1954. This one-story Greek Revival influenced school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and as a National Historic Landmark for its historical significance. This building became significant for a meeting that took place on the evening of March 20, 1854. The people at the meeting were mostly Whigs, Free Soilers, and Democrats who believed that their respective parties could not prevent the extension of slavery to the north. They came out of the schoolhouse in agreement that one unified front was crucial to the fight against slavery and thus began the Republican Party. In 1860, the schoolhouse was converted into a private residence. The schoolhouses' final owner, Miss Perrine, put the schoolhouse up for sale in 1908. At this time, Samuel Peddrick called the community's attention to the historical importance of the building. It was decided by a committee to purchase the schoolhouse and preserve it for the benefit of the community. In 2023, the building was moved from 305 Blackburn Street to 1074 W Fond du Lac St. The first three photos show the building at it's new 2023 location. The other two show the building at the previous location.

Bibliographic References

RIPON COMMONWEALTH PRESS 3/17/1994. RIPON COMMONWEALTH PRESS 2/23/1995. OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN 7/27/1995. OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN 10/13/1995. FOND DU LAC REPORTER 1/3/1996. APPLETON POST CRESCENT 1/16/1996. Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. Fond du Lac Reporter 5/25/1999. Ripon Commonwealth Press 1/25/2001. Janesville Gazette 10/23/2003. Ripon Commonwealth Press 5/22/2003. Voyageur magazine Winter/Spring 2005. Ripon Historic Walking Tour brochure, 2015.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name

Little White Schoolhouse (Additional Documentation)

National Register Listing Date

State Register Listing Date

Contributing

Additional Documentation

Jul 22, 2024

school-one to six room Greek Revival

Fond du Lac
County

Ripon
Community

1850-1859
Decade

National and State Register Listing

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Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.

The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.

For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.

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