Allen School (La Moille, Illinois)

Allen School
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	301 Main St., La Moille, Illinois
Coordinates	41°31′47″N 89°16′48″W / 41.52972°N 89.28000°WCoordinates: 41°31′47″N 89°16′48″W / 41.52972°N 89.28000°W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1887
Built by	Cullwell, T.H.
Architect	Bryant, Joseph
NRHP Reference #	96000081[1]
Added to NRHP	February 16, 1996

The Allen School is a historic school located at 301 Main Street in La Moille, Illinois. The school was built in 1887 to relieve overcrowding in what was then La Moille's only school, which had been built in 1858. Funding for the school came from the estate of Joseph Allen, a wealthy local farmer who left $35,000 in his will to provide for the school's construction and maintenance. The school gruaduated its first class of four students in 1889, and its enrollment reached 201 by 1895. Its assembly hall became the host of major civic events, such as plays, traveling entertainment, and visits by prominent speakers; politicians who visited the school include Cordell Hull and Everett Dirksen. A wave of school consolidation brought new students to the school in the 1940s, and its enrollment grew to 350. The school is still in operation and is the only historic school in La Moille which is still standing.^[2]

The school was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1996.^[1]

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Schallhorn, Pamela S. (September 11, 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Allen School" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved June 10, 2016.