The Irwin Consolidated School in

Irwin, Iowa Irwin is a city in Shelby County, Iowa, United States, along the West Nishnabotna River. The population was 319 at the time of the 2020 census. History The Western Town Lot Company established Irwin in 1881. The town was named for E. W. Irwin, ...

was opened for classes in the fall of 1918. The cornerstone dates the building as being built in 1917 by William F. Gernandt, Architect of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

. It was built to replace a wooden structure and a number of country schools and to be able to add courses to the

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

. The building has been placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, as are a number of buildings by William F. Gernandt. The building is of brick construction with many sandstone and art deco features. It is quite ornate in comparison to other school buildings built in the area and of that time period. The school to this date still has much of the original oak woodwork, doors and cabinetry. with The school's first years staff was: Supt. S. A. Guiles, Miss Keller, Miss Kimberly, Mary Steenhusen Welsch, Mary Farrington Torpy, Myrtle Peterson Miller, Miss Wyatt, Mrs. S. A. Guiles, Alice Fogarty, Miss Brockman and Miss Zella Cozad. The Irwin High School was renowned academically and also excelled in sports winning many state championships. In the late 1920s the school was one of the stops for the Harlem Globe Trotters and on that night the home team won. In 1939 the city of Irwin was one of six communities for a special government study of the effects of the depression and of the New Deal Program. In 1942 a photo essay followed up this study with many photos of the school being preserved in the National Archives. The last classes were held in 2002. In 2005, the building was sold and converted to the C. G. Brisee Genealogy Library.

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School buildings completed in 1918 Buildings and structures in Shelby County, Iowa Art Deco architecture in Iowa School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Shelby County, Iowa 1918 establishments in Iowa {{ShelbyCountyIA-NRHP-stub

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