Museum Receives $5,000 Grant From State Historical Society

The Dutch American Heritage Museum received a $5,000 country school grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa. The program helps to preserve or maintain Iowa’s one- or two-room country schools. The museum plans to replace the deteriorating roof and repair the cupola. In 2021, the museum painted the exterior of the building and revamped the interior exhibits.
The schoolhouse was built in 1875 for the Elgin Township near Struble, Iowa, not far from the county line between Sioux and Plymouth Counties. It was known as Elgin No. 1. The Sioux County Historical Society bought it in December of 1969 for $50 from the Hawkins family where it resided on their farmland. Since that time, it has been a much-beloved feature of the museum. The grant funding provided by the State Historical Society will aid in completing the preservation of the building.