Shabby White Pioneer Sholes School

A recent trip to Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve gave me plenty of eye candy to photograph and today’s post highlights the shabby white Pioneer Sholes School found on the property. A one-room school that was moved to its current location several years ago, the architecture is simple and lovely and the grounds are idyllic.

This charming historic school sits on the same property where we start our Saturday morning training runs. Trails with gorgeous scenery run though the forest preserve and beyond.

 

The little round sign above the front door of the one-room school house hints at its construction date.

 

The website for the shabby white Pioneer Sholes School states the school is estimated at having been built in 1872. If this is true, then the school was constructed about the same time as my farm house.

 

Wouldn’t it be cool if the first family who lived in my home had children who attended this school?

 

A close-up of the shabby white school’s cupola shows where the school bell would toll.

 

Today the school serves as a museum and all the elementary schools in the area hold field trips here.

 

I was delighted to find this pair of darling outhouses out back (is it possible for an outhouse to be darling?).

 

The door even has a moon sliver!

 

I would imagine the boys used one outhouse while the girls used the other.

 

Curiosity got the best of me and I had to get closer and take a peek inside.

 

Yes, it’s still a working outhouse that’s surprisingly clean. I noted the toilet paper was well stocked and made a mental note in case I ever need to use this charming potty on one of my marathon training runs in the area.

 

Between the shabby white Pioneer Sholes School and its outhouses is this gorgeous Bridal Wreath bush that was in full bloom. It smelled heavenly … and just for the record, the outhouse didn’t smell. Like I said, everything is kept in pristine condition here.

 

The shabby white Pioneer Sholes School is located just down the lane from the big red barn that I photographed the same day. I love that so much attention has been given to preserving historic structures in the area. I’ll soon be writing about other buildings here in Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve in Kane County, Illinois … so stay tuned!

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