North River Stone School

The North River Stone School is located at 2053 N. River School Road, Winterset.

In 1874, a new stone school was built in Section 2 of Douglas Township to replace the former log school. Still standing strong today, it measures 35 x 25 feet with native limestone walls that are two-feet thick and a central chimney. The stone was quarried nearby – a 1/2 mile east, just south of the road. The grounds originally consisted of one acre of land, a coal shed, two outhouses (one for the boys; one for the girls) and a flag pole.This rural school closed in 1945 as education within Madison County was being consolidated into fewer locations. The building served not only as a classroom for 71 years but also hosted social gatherings in the neighborhood. In 1962 the building was in very poor shape and a county-wide effort was initiated by the Madison County Historical Society to restore it. After restoration, the North River/Bennett School was nominated by Henry Miller to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and accepted in 1977.