Save Our Schoolhouse

Funds Urgently Needed for Repairs

The Howard Schoolhouse was built in the early 1870s by William B. Howard, Sr., a founder of Lee’s Summit, MO. He was imprisoned at the 1859 Jackson County Jail during the Civil War because he was a known Southern sympathizer.

William and his wife Mary built the one-room schoolhouse for the education of their children. It originally stood behind the Howard family home in Lee’s Summit. The 12-by-16 foot frame building, a perfect example of an elementary school from that time, was completely restored when it was moved in 1959 to the courtyard of the Jail. The Schoolhouse was donated by his grandson, William T. Howard, to the Jackson County Historical Society and dedicated in 1960.

The  schoolhouse is now in desperate need of restoration. Visitors are allowed to look inside but cannot enter because of the building’s condition.

Each fall, more than 1,000 Independence School District first graders visit the 1859 Jail Museum and tour the Howard Schoolhouse. During their tour they learn what education was like for children of the late 1800s.

Inspections by an architectural company documented repairs (and/or replacement) that are needed to the roof, front door, windows interior wainscoting, interior wood flooring, exterior lap siding. The building also needs painting inside and out.

DONATE TODAY!

$3,000 School Superintendent

$1,500 Schoolmaster/Schoolmarm

$1,000 Head of the Class

$500 Spelling Bee Winner

$250 Best Penmanship

$100 Student

Repairs Needed

• Replace/Repair Cedar Roof Tiles

• Replace Front Door

• Replace Two Windows

• Replace/Repair Trim & Wainscoting

• Repair/Refinish Wood Flooring

• Repair/Replace Exterior Lap Siding

• Paint Inside and Out

Mail your check to P.O. Box 4241 Independence, Mo 64051, or make your donation online: