Waterford Public School from 1882 - 1935

 

  

 Waterford Township Community Center & Town Hall 

                                    1935 - 2022

 

CURRENT:   The building pictured above has been donated by Waterford Township to Rice County Steam & Gas Engine, Inc. for "Preserving a bit of yesterday for tomorrow".  The building will take a six-mile midnight journey (move) south on State Highway 3 to it's new location in the spring of 2023.  

 

Rice County Steam & Gas Engine, Inc. will be preserving the building as an 1882 school building.  The building will be open to the public at least annually every Labor Day weekend starting in September 2023.     

  

HISTORIC INFORMATION:   The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places from 1992 until 2022 when it moved to the Rice County Steam & Gas Engine site.  The building, built in 1882, has an unusually stylistic and ornate style, probably reflecting the emphasis the community placed on education.  The schoolhouse is an example of small rural schools in that era that were distributed across Dakota County in the late 19th century.  

Most of those schools are gone, some because of expanding urbanization.  

The structure has traits of several architectural styles including Gothic Revival and the Renaissance Revival styles.  The stylistic and ornate gable trims are characteristics of the Gothic style. The pediment window heads and pediment transom are typical of the Renaissance Revival style.   The school bell remains in the bell tower and does get rung from time to time.  

 

The building, after 1935 was used as Waterford Township Community Center & Town Hall.   The building was used by local groups (4H, Ladies Aid,) local church services and the Town Hall.   Over the decades the local groups discontinued using the building.   The Township continued to use the building for Town Board meetings it's last Town Board meeting on October 10, 2022.  

 

The Town Board designated Sciota Town Hall, 30038 Alta Ave, Northfield, MN as Waterford's Polling Precinct on July 8, 2019 for it's 2020 Annual Meeting and all elections thereafter.

 

The Town Board designated Sciota Town Hall, 30038 Alta Ave, Northfield, MN as Waterford's Town Board & Planning Commission Meetings on August 15, 2022 via resolution R2022-14.   

 

The first Waterford Town Board meeting at the new location at 30038 Alta Avenue, Northfield, Mn  55057 was held November 10, 2022.