School District Number 1

District Number 1 Schoolhouse

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Nicodemus, Kansas

Significance:

First School District in Graham County

Designation:

National Historic Site

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

Settlers quickly established a school once arriving in Nicodemus. In 1879, Nicodemus established the first organized school in Graham County with the title "School District No. 1." The district used many different structures as schoolhouses including dugouts, private residences, and the St Francis Hotel. Many early Nicodemus residents had been born enslaved and thus barred from education, so the town placed a heavy importance on education, especially reading and writing. Both children and adults attended school in Nicodemus. The current schoolhouse was built in 1918 and closed in the 1960s due to low enrollment numbers. The building was purchased by the American Legion in 1983.