NPS Photo

Many rural Midwestern towns like West Branch placed a high value on education and built one-room schoolhouses for their new communities.

The one-room West Branch School was built in 1853. It was used as both the community school and Friends Meetinghouse for worship until a separate meetinghouse was completed in 1857. 

Quakers believed strongly in educating both boys and girls. The Hoovers enrolled Herbert was in the school shortly after his fifth birthday. Herbert learned basic subjects including arithmetic, spelling, reading, writing, and science. Herbert also came to admire Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose portraits hang on the schoolhouse walls.

The Schoolhouse originally stood two blocks from its present place and was moved several times. It served as the primary school for the West Branch community when Herbert was a boy.

A ramp leads to the entrance of the Schoolhouse. You must pass over a small lip to get through the door. The audio station is on the inside wall. A photo album of the interior is available at the Visitor Center upon request.

Take a Virtual Tour

This is a stop on the virtual tour of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site.

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