Thank you to all who joined the Pleasant Prairie Historical Society at the Dublin School Open House on Saturday, September 7. The Pleasant Prairie Historical Society hosted the Open House to introduce residents to their new home, the historic Dublin School. The event featured stories from Dr. Anthony Bisciglia, who was the school's final principal, school tours, a picnic, and old fashioned games.
Many brought, shared, or donated old photos and other items related to Pleasant Prairie's past. You're invited to contact the Historical Society at (262) 947-3600 or [email protected] for more information.
THE DUBLIN SCHOOL
Dublin School, or School District #7, has always stood at the corner of 116th Street (Tobin Road) and 39th Avenue. The current brick building is the third Dublin School to occupy this location. While no one knows with any certainty the origin of the school's name, it likely has much to do with the many families of the area having roots in Dublin, Ireland.
The earliest reference of the school was in an 1844 report summarizing the schools of Pleasant Prairie. This first Dublin School could hold 30 students and was simply constructed with pine walls. By 1883, the school was in rather poor condition, so, at a cost of $600, a second school was built on the site and opened during October of 1883.
The new school was also used for community events as told by Eva Riley Thomas, "It is said that the school desks and seats of the school were fastened to boards forming skids that would pass through the front entrance. This made it possible to use the school as a dance hall." This second building was used until 1927.
During March of 1927, town residents voted to build a new school rather than to repair the second school. The third Dublin School is the building that exists today. It was constructed of brick at a cost of $15,000. It was originally designed as a two room school house with indoor plumbing, a first for this school. Opening in October of 1927, this Dublin School was used for almost 45 years.
Prairie Lane School opened in the fall of 1954, and most of the students from Dublin School, as well as Lamb (Limerick), Hannan, and Sheridan Road schools, began attending Prairie Lane. A few classes continued at Dublin School until its doors were finally closed during 1971.