The Allen School is a historic school site located at 301 Main Street in La Moille,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

. 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 graduated 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 Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevel ...

and

Everett Dirksen Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As P ...

. 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. The school was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on February 16, 1996.

References

School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois School buildings completed in 1887 National Register of Historic Places in Bureau County, Illinois {{BureauCountyIL-NRHP-stub