1862 School with 1876 Addition / Remodel
The beginning of the Central School Campus location, initially called "the Hill" was the site of Stoughton's first three-story school and this new school was dedicated in 1862.
“The new 1862 building was built on the hilltop; it had two rooms and a basement besides” and built to accommodate growth.
“Formally dedicated in the year ’62 (1862), with appropriate music and speaking, and a prayer for the good it might do.” Julie Serles, a teacher of the Stoughton Public Schools
After fifteen years, an addition of three rooms was built onto the school with the 1876 remodel.
This is the first known photo of the 1862 three story school built on "the Hill".
This image is before the 1876 addition / remodel.
This school served the Central Campus 1-12 until a separate high school was built in 1892.
Kittelson Records History of Stoughton High School:
“In 1876 a four-year high school* opened in Stoughton, utilizing a portion of the 1862 building for classes. Stoughton High School, which was the only high school for a number of miles around, attracted 65 students during its first year. Although Stoughton’s population grew steadily from 1850, its rate of growth, boosted by Norse immigration, took a steep upward turn after 1880. This resulted in considerable crowding of the physical facilities by resident students as well. The overflow of students was shunted into a number of private rooms in the community, rented for that purpose by the School Board.”
* Though the school was called a high school, it held grades 1-12 until a separate 1892 high school was built.
Historic Landmark Being Torn Down
“As far as we can learn, the rear part of the building was
built in 1860 or 1861 (dedicated in 1862), and when, in the early seventies (1870’s), it
became necessary to enlarge the building, the front part was erected. Mrs. Eunicy Tipple, who, as a little girl of
four years, came here with her parents in 1850, when there were only twelve
buildings in the hamlet, was among the scholars that first occupied the new
building, and perhaps is the only local survivor of those pupils.”
“The task of tearing down the city’s oldest surviving
schoolhouse, the old Central building, which was commenced last Thursday is
making rapid progress, and before long will thus have disappeared one of the
earliest brick structures erected in this community. As Contractor Kildal is to use what whole brick is saved in
the new school building, the wrecking of the old structure is being done with a
view to breaking as few brick as possible, and Alfred Berg, who has this work
in charge, is forcing the walls out by means of jack screws. In falling, the mortar in these fragments of
the walls break, and we are told that by no means as many bricks are broken in
this way as when brick by brick is pryed off.
Mr. Berg expects that by Saturday he will have the building wrecked down
to the foundation.
Stoughton Daily Courier Hub, August 1, 1919
Resources:
Kittelson Records History of Stoughton High School
David Kittelson, a former Stoughton resident, made available for Courier-Hub publication a history of Stoughton high school which he originally compiled for a class while attending the University of Wisconsin.
Additional Resources: The Stoughton Courier, August 15, 1968, second section pages 6 and 9; Olga Nuland two page notes on the First Universalist Church of Stoughton including the Little Red Schoolhouse; Courier Hub, June 18, 1947 page 8; Stoughton Courier Hub May 13, 1999
