June 5, 2014: The oldest portion of the Newell-Fonda Community School opened on February 5, 1912. “The new building marks an era of progress in the Newell schools. In coming years, it will be a monument of foresight of the men who built it.” (Newell Mirror, February 1, 1912)
The building currently at the heart of the Newell-Fonda school complex got there the old-fashioned way: The previous one burned down.
SCHOOL BUILDING DESTROYED
Uncontrollable flames totally obliterated the brick school building on Saturday evening — probably will resume school work next Monday.
If one could forget the heavy loss involved and the almost inestimable detriment to the school, it would have been a magnificent sight when the building was wrapped in flames. The fire burned fiercely while the woodwork was destroyed. All that remains of the building is the blackened and crumbling walls. There were twenty tons of coal in the basement which is still burning. The walls are lighted up at night with a red glare like a ghostly jack lantern.
— Newell Mirror, February 9, 1911
And that, kids, is why school buildings in the first two-thirds of the 20th century were stuffed chock full of asbestos.
To my knowledge, the 1912 Newell school building is one of and quite possibly THE oldest of the early-20th-century multistory, symmetrical flat-roofed schools in use in small-town Iowa today (but not the oldest overall). The building was even a bit ahead of its time, as I tend to peg the era as 1913-28. Bagley’s school built the following year still included a bell tower.
As you can see in the picture, it’s firmly wedged in between much later additions, but is that going to change? A story in the Storm Lake Times says the Newell-Fonda district is looking into adding capacity in 2023. “Central tower,” as the superintendent calls the 1912 structure, currently houses certain specialty and extracurricular classes. A study will be conducted on central tower, which could result in either its demolition (which would leave a hole in the complex!) or Americans With Disabilities Act compliance (which at minimum means an elevator).
Either way, it’s not going anywhere in its upcoming 110th full year of operation, so take that, Locust School.