Click Here For A Brief History Of Newton #5 Country School

A Brief History of the Newton Number 5 Country School

In 1876, a farmer named Burnap donated land to his school district so they could build a school. This school was officially named Newton Number 5, but because it was built on the corner of the Burnap farm, it was usually called Burnap School. This building was competed about November 1936.

This new Burnap School was much larger than the original school that was located on the same property. Now a furnace heated the building, still fueled by coal, but so much more efficiently. Later the furnace was converted to burn oil. The teacher was relieved of the chore of keeping the fire going and the clinkers and ashes removed from the furnace. There was a basement that could be used for many activities. There were separate cloak rooms for the boys and girls. However, there were still no indoor restrooms or running water. Water had to be hauled from a nearby farm as there was no well on the school property.

When school consolidation became the norm in the mid-1950's, the Burnap School was one of the schools that had to be closed. It served well from 1936 to 1953. It then became a community center and also a meeting place for 4-H clubs. Finally, the district school board decided to sell the building and move it off the site.

In 2000, the school building and a lot in town were donated to the Lake Mills Area Historical Society. The school was then moved from its rural location to its current location at 308 North Mill Street in Lake Mills. The building has been restored to the way it was when in use, with the exception of a modern gas furnace and restroom.

After the Lake Mills Area Historical Society moved the school to Lake Mills, people from around the area donated desks and other items to furnish the school. The player piano is original to the building, as is the teacher's desk and chair. The recitation bench is also original and has been rebuilt. The bell is not the original but is identical to it. It is mounted on a stand of the same design as the original. There is no coal chute under these steps as there was in the original, and the basement windows are not an exact replica, but otherwise it is the way it looked in its country setting.

The globe hanging over the teacher's desk is a typical installation, but we are missing the proper counterweight and the pulleys on which a flat, ladder chain moved the globe up and down as needed. Many of the original library books are displayed in the bookcase and in the shelves in the girls' cloakroom.

Since this is officially "A Country School Museum" we collect and display artifacts from any other schools of the area, not just "Burnap School" but also from schools in Worth County, other Winnebago County schools and schools in Southern Minnesota.

Grade School children from Lake Mills Community School are welcome visitors each spring to get a little taste of "the way it was". Several organizations have held their meetings here. The Country School Museum is open by appointment at all times, and from 2 pm to 4 pm on Sundays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.