Tiskilwa's first school was a private school which opened in 1838. It was located in a 16' x 34' building located near Main and Sycamore streets. The building also served as a community meeting place for town hall meetings and elections.
The second school was a public school called Union School. It was built in 1850 and was located at the current site of St. Mary's Church on Main Street.
The next school (pictured directly below) was built in 1867-68 at a price of $35,000, housed grades 1-12, and was said to be the finest district school in Illinois outside of Chicago. (From: Mary B. Steimle, When Tiskilwa Was Young, 1985)
The building served grades 1-12 from 1868 through 1912, and then served grades 1-8 until 1939.
Tiskilwa Schools Through the Years
1912-1979
Gymnasium added in 1950
1939-present
Gym, cafeteria, kitchen, and east wing of classrooms added in 1955.
Former Tiskilwa Grade School, now owned by Princeton Elementary School District.
Spring 1979-1995
Former Tiskilwa High School
Annexed to Princeton in 1996.
The building is now privately owned.
Tiskilwa’s Country Schools
We've placed honorary signs at all 15 locations of the Tiskilwa's former country schools. This project was possible through the Board's efforts in research and design, the financial support of 24 historical society members, and the physical labor of a special few members who installed the signs in 2013. Neighbors of the several of the school sites have volunteered to do a bit of landscaping, plant perennials, and maintain the area around each sign.
You may want to take a virtual tour, here and now, and print out the map. Then the next time you’re in or around The Gem of the Valley you can locate each site, up close and personal. Several local enthusiasts have already made the circuit on a self-guided tour.
