PHOTO OF THE DAY: A MONDAY LOOK BACK
This photo and the following information appears on Heritage Hall Museum & Archives Facebook page today as part of its weekly Monday retrospective:
Freeman Academy is observing its 120 years of continuous Christian education in this community. While it has the longest tenure – classes began in 1903 – it was not the first church-related school in Freeman.
That distinction goes to St. Paul Lutheran Day School, established in 1888 by St. Paul Lutheran Church of Freeman. It was the first parochial school in what became the state of South Dakota the following year. It offered Christian-based education through eighth grade, something important to the Lutheran congregation.
“Because these people were able to practice their religious endeavors here, they wanted to have an opportunity to embrace their religious desire here,” wrote Ruth Koerner in the church’s centennial book, “A Century of God’s Blessing.”
A two-story building was constructed next to the church on Poplar Street between 4th and 5th streets; the first floor was the school and the second floor was the living quarters for the teacher. Within a few years, enrollment swelled to 52 and the school moved into the church; desks and benches were set aside for Sunday morning services.
After a new, larger church was built north of the original in 1899 (today, the site of First Interstate Bank), the former church was used exclusively as the “new” school. Most classes were conducted in German; one hour a day was set aside to teach English. But even this larger space was not enough in the decades that followed, with enrollment reaching the 70s.
In 1924, a new school was built several blocks to the southeast on a lot donated by Fred Haar, a founding member of the church. The accompanying photos shows the new school, located at the intersection of Dewald and Sixth Street (today the site of Dewald Street Village); note how open the area is. The two-story brick building included two classrooms (upper and lower grades), a confirmation room, office, and a full basement area that included a kitchen; it was also used as a gymnasium and large meeting space. It also included a large playground area including a ball field on the east side of the school. That area became home to Walnut Street Village in 1996.
St. Paul Lutheran Day School continued its mission through the 1990-91 school year. Although enrollment had reached as high as 89 students in 1952, it had declined in the final decades of the 20th century. The 1990-91 enrollment was 12 and the prospect for the following year was 11.
A May 1, 1991 article in the Freeman Courier noted the decision to close the school was made at a congregational meeting based on how to best meet the church’s educational needs. It included hiring a director of Christian education.
Bruce Wieting, teacher at St. Paul Lutheran Day School at the time, said that while he was disappointed to see the school close, “I hope to see the church continue to support Christian education.” Incorporating religious faith into everyday life is important. “That’s what the whole world is about,” he said.
In 1993, two years after the school closed, the building’s 103-year legacy as an educational center was revitalized when it became home to Growing Dreams Learning Center. The building was demolished in the summer of 2006, two years after the daycare center left. The following year, the property became home to Dewald Street Village.
Information for this week’s trip down memory lane comes from materials in Heritage Hall Museum & Archives.
And, models of both the original St. Paul Lutheran Church/Day School and the 1924 building are on display in our Faith Traditions Gallery. They are part of a set created by Gerhard Schamber in 1981 and donated to the museum.
We’re open weekday afternoons from noon to 4 through April; our new summer hours begin May 1 – 10 to 4 Monday through Saturday with Sundays and other times by appointment.
