This was later known as Parkview School before closing in 1991
Yorkville School, Yorkville Illinois
Yorkville School, built in 1887, is an example of the larger, multi-room school buildings that replaced one-room school houses during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Yorkville School served the residents of Yorkville and the surrounding rural areas of Kendall County. Now known as Parkview School, the 27,598-square-foot building was the first large, multi-story school in Kendall County.
The Fox River runs east to west through Yorkville, splitting the town into two sections, north (originally known as Bristol) and south (the original village of Yorkville). The first resident of European descent was Earl Adams, who built a log cabin on the south side of the river in 1833, a year after the Black Hawk War ended. In 1834 brothers Lyman and Burr Bristol laid out a village north of the river; it included a sawmill at the mouth of Blackberry Creek. In 1836, Rulief Duryea laid out the village of Yorkville south of the river, apparently naming it after his native state of New York. The same year, Kendall County was established, splitting off from Kane County. In 1841 Duryea and H. Carrington deeded ten acres to the county, but in 1845 an election moved the county seat to Oswego, where it remained until 1864, when the present Kendall County Courthouse was completed in Yorkville.
Although called Yorkville School, the building is on the Bristol side of the river. Yorkville was incorporated, separate from Bristol, in 1873. The two didn't consolidate into one municipality until 1957, but in the mid-1880s the north and south side agreed to a single school district, following a petition drive by two women, Mrs. M.E. Cornell and Mrs. James A. Godard, one from each side of the river. This led to construction of Yorkville School, a unifying force that held all classes, first grade through high school, until Yorkville High School was built in 1959. Grade school students were predominantly Yorkville and Bristol residents, although high school students came from up to 20 miles away. Some high school students came to Yorkville School for two years after finishing at the small, two-year high schools located in the villages of Newark, Linden and Plattville. After the new high school was built in 1959, Yorkville School was a junior high school until 1968, when it was used as the original campus of the new Waubonsee Community College and for special education. Renamed Parkview School in the early 1970s, it was used as a grade school until closing in 1991.
Yorkville School replaced a 1830s one-room schoolhouse on West Ridge Street on the Yorkville side of the river and, on the north side of the town, a small, four-room building (1850) at 211 E. Spring which is now a single-family house. Yorkville School epitomizes much of American social history between the end of the Civil War and the end of the Great Depression. In the face of the Industrial Revolution, America's predominantly agrarian settlement pattern began to give way to towns and cities. The rugged individualism of the frontier gave way to collective efforts, such as Horace Mann's advocacy of universal literacy, which would benefit society as a whole. Massachusetts passed the country's first compulsory education bill in 1852; by 1918, every state had enacted similar laws. According to architectural historian Leland M. Roth, the period between 1885 and the first world war was characterized by a growing interest in consolidation of schools and "in the exercise of a controlling discipline so as to effect maximum harmony and economy of effort." Larger, centrally-located schools like Yorkville School, replacements for one-room country school houses, manifested these social trends.
The large new schools of the late 19th century exemplified the progressive education movement spawned by educators such as Mann, Francis W. Parker and John Dewey. An outgrowth of the progressive political movement, progressive education called for a broader view of education, using schools to promote health, vocation and quality of community life. Progressive education called for tailoring instruction to different kinds and classes of children, and expanding instruction to include the sciences, trades such as carpentry, and "domestic science." John Dewey and Francis Parker, who both spent portions of their careers in Chicago, believed that modern society, specifically industrialization, was diminishing the fabric of agrarian American life, and that public education had to fill the void. Parker envisioned the school as "a model home, a complete community and embryonic democracy," while Dewey believed that "educational functions traditionally carried on by the family, neighborhood, or shop are no longer being performed; somehow they must get done; like it or not, the school must take them on."
Although today we take multi-room schools for granted, the changes proposed by the progressives were sweeping. According to Stuart G. Noble, an educational historian, "The schools of the day were small and shamefully crude, being built of materials that came readiest at hand … by far the great majority of the buildings in the states of this area were built for one-teacher schools." Illinois schools were in session for just six or seven months per year, and in 1870 the average teacher earned approximately $30 to $35 per month. However the progressives had widespread public support, especially from agricultural groups such as the Order of the Grange and the Farmers' Alliance, whose leaders worried about a brain drain of rural young people towards the large cities. "During the last quarter of the century, the masses became articulate in a demand for public schools," Noble wrote. "Whereas earlier the impetus to the movement had sprung from middle class humanitarians … now the masses were beginning to rise and assert their right to free instruction."
Compulsory education, child labor laws and the progressive movement caused enrollments to swell, creating a need for larger schools. Also, a more customized, progressive educational approach couldn't possibly be implemented in a one-room schoolhouse. Therefore, in Kendall County, multi-room schools like Yorkville eventually supplanted one-room schools such as Evaline School (also known as Ferndell School) in Newark.
Now known as Parkview School, Yorkville School embodies these broad trends in American social history, trends that repeat themselves today, when the "breakdown of the family" is a current public policy topic. So is the financing of education. At a time when most referenda for schools are voted down, it is instructive to note the controversy that surrounded the funding of Yorkville School. The local newspaper ripped the project in an editorial headlined "Fees For Lawyers--Nuts For Tax Payers." A group of south side Yorkville residents, unhappy with the school's location north of the Fox River and appalled by the $9,500 construction estimate, filed a lawsuit to stop construction, but the school district convinced a judge to delay action for six months, during which time the school was built, rendering the legal challenge moot.
Although controversial prior to opening, the new school opened to rave reviews. According to the Kendall County Record, "It was a happy party of men, woman and children who threaded capacious halls, dived down into the roomy basement where the glowing furnaces gave out a grateful heat, up the easy rise of the stairs and into the airy school rooms--Oh, but they were all just proud, and one could hardly believe he was in Yorkville, but had been transported with our whole population by some powerful genie to some more prosperous town."
Local materials were used in the construction of Yorkville School. The original section of the school was built with bricks made in a kiln less than a quarter mile away, at the southwest corner of King and Somonauk streets, now the site of the local public elementary school. Clay for the bricks was dug near the local cemetery and mixed in an elevated tub. A blind mule powered the mud mixer by walking around in circles pulling a sweep. The bricks would be left in their wood frames to dry in the sun; once the upper side dried, the frame would be turned over to dry the bottom. If it rained during the drying period, the bricks had to be discarded and the process started from scratch. Considering that each pallet contained just six to ten bricks, making the 66,000 bricks needed for the school was an ambitious undertaking.
As the community grew, so did the school. A large addition to the east side of the building was constructed in 1907, providing more classrooms and expanding the second-floor assembly room, which later became the school library. The school's development continued to mirror larger social trends. Disturbed by urban problems as described in Upton Sinclair's book, The Jungle, turn-of-the-century activists initiated a variety of reforms. One of these, the playground movement, started at Chicago's Hull House and spread during the first quarter of the 20th century. By 1925, there were an estimated 8,608 playgrounds in approximately 750 cities. Yorkville School had a playground and a large amount of green space immediately north of the building. But, given northern Illinois' harsh winters, this renewed emphasis on physical education led to construction of gymnasiums, such as the one built on the west side of Yorkville School in 1928. This gym remains virtually unaltered today.
As urged by the progressive education movement, the school served a variety of social and cultural needs beyond educating children. Around 1935, the school began a hot lunch program for students; free for poorer families and a nickel for those children whose families had jobs. The large gym gave the school the space needed for major attractions, such as the Farm Bureau Convention held on December 27th, 1929 and attended by 600 people. Other activities included: Christian Leadership Training; theatrical presentations such as "The Cameo Girl" (January 23rd & 24th, 1930); and educational lectures, such as the one delivered in March of 1937 by Dr. Sara Janson, "renowned for her travels in the wilds of the north and an outstanding lecturer in the Chicago area. She has photographs of wild animals for which she has been offered large sums of money."
The school also was a center for Christmas activities. A December 20th, 1939 newspaper story headlined, "Community to Celebrate Christmas In School Gym," listed activities such as a high school band concert, "three sound movies" and collection of money, candy, food and toys for needy families.
Yorkville's effort to improve education would have made the progressives proud. In 1940, according to a survey conducted by the University of Illinois, Yorkville graduates there had average grades of 87.4 percent, compared to 81.8 percent for graduates of all Illinois public high schools. According to the Kendall County Record, "For the past several years the University has made comparative studies of the grades of students from different high schools throughout the state and the reports received by the superintendent have always shown that the Yorkville students ranked well above the average for the class. Corresponding reports have come in from other colleges that enroll our freshmen, stating that the Yorkville graduates are always well-prepared and earn grades which are as well or above the average of their classmates."
In 1914, the Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois described Yorkville School as "now being one of the best in the county. The school ranks high. It is on the accredited list at the State University, Champaign, and at the Northwestern University." In the late 1930s, Yorkville was one of six county schools rated as "superior" by the Illinois Department of Public Instruction. At the same time, 30 county schools received the lower rating of "recognized."
The high school curriculum was divided into two major categories, college prep and vocational/commercial. Students who planned to attend college were urged to take the following courses to fulfill entrance requirements: three years of English; Algebra I; Geometry I; Latin I and II; American history; and General Science. Other departments included Home Economics, Agriculture, and Commercial.
Throughout its history, Yorkville School has served an important role in the educational, civic and recreational life of the entire community, not just its children. For example, in 1940 the Kendall County Record announced, "The people of this community will benefit from a citizenship program that is to be given in the Yorkville gym tonight, March 13th. Richard Curry of Aurora will give instructions on the correct method of marking a ballot. This is a chance to find out how to use the privilege of voting correctly … Music will be furnished by the Yorkville High School band and community singing will be led by Gordon Smythe."
It also should be noted that the building was the original home of Waubonsee Community College, now based in Sugar Grove.
Yorkville School retains much of its original character, especially inside. The reddish-brown brick, two-story building encompasses 27,598 square feet, not including the basement, which originally housed a coal boiler, then later an oil furnace, then gas. Because it was built in three phases, there is a three-step drop on each of the two main levels; the gymnasium also is a different level. The original building, designed by architect Henry Hebard, had four first-floor classrooms, which remain intact, as do most of the other classrooms. The large, second-floor assembly room on the south side was enlarged as part of the 1907 expansion. The architects of the school's two additions are unknown.
Interior detailing remains very much unaltered. Although much of the woodwork has been painted over, evidence of careful workmanship remains evident in doors, casing, wainscoting and other interior work. Of particular interest are the second-floor library, which includes a beamed ceiling, and the science room, which contains a built-in slate water table used for experiments. Because the building was used as a school until 1991, it retains much original character. Through the efforts of the Parkview Foundation, deferred maintenance has not yet become a problem.
Reflecting the growth of the community, two major additions have been made to the original 1887 building. A 1907 addition to the east added classrooms and an extension of the high school assembly room on the second floor. This addition respected the original in terms of construction material (smooth red brick), hipped roof; and windows (double-hung sash with straight, flat stone lintels and sills). Although the original window frames have been replaced by metal frames, the rhythm of solid to voids remains intact, and the current owners plan to install historically accurate replacements. The sash windows in the 1887 building originally had one-over-one, two-over-one and four-over one panes. The one-over=one pattern was continued in the 1907 addition.
The 1928 the west wing is dominated by the 6,880-square-foot gymnasium, which includes intact bleachers and rafter design, providing high ceilings better suitable for basketball than those found in older gyms. The gym, the largest in the area when built, remains complete with a 1950s electric scoreboard and in pristine condition. The original floor, repaired in the early 1940s, remains.
Building Description
Yorkville School is located at the northwest corner of West Center Street and Church Street in Yorkville, Bristol Township, Kendall County, Illinois. The school site encompasses a city block bounded by West Center Street on the south, Somonauk Street on the north, Church Street on the east and King Street on the west. The north half of the site is an open field. The school is situated northwest of the Public Square. The primary facade of the building is the south elevation.
The building was constructed in three phases between 1887 and 1928. These phases consist of: the original two-story school; a 1907 two-story classroom and assembly room addition; a 1928 two-story classroom addition and one-story gymnasium. All are of brick construction. The 1887 and 1907 sections have random coursed dressed ashlar limestone foundations which rise to a cut, dressed and beveled water table. Both have dressed limestone lintels and window sills. The two 1928 sections have poured in-place concrete foundations.
Although it has evolved over time, the building has good integrity and conveys a sense of history through its scale, massing, materials, workmanship, detailing and historic fabric. Although the original wood doors and wood window sash and frames were replaced during the 1960s with aluminum, glass and metal panel assemblies.
The replacement windows are one-over- one single-hung aluminum sash, topped by fixed sash translucent green panels. The original window openings are unaltered and the new windows were manufactured to fit these openings. Every window has been replaced with aluminum, although the basement windows and the first floor gymnasium windows do not have the green panels.
The owner intends to replace the incompatible windows with historically accurate windows as an early step in the building's renovation.
The 1887 school is an L-shaped building with a projecting rectangular bell tower bay at the intersection of the east and south wings. The shingled tower, which had a steeply pitched roof and arched openings, was removed between 1911 and 1922. Attached at its base was a recessed frame entry porch. This rectangular porch had a pent roof. Ghost evidence of the roofline is visible on the building walls. It was supported by a turned post at its southeast corner and split posts at the building walls. It had no balustrade or handrails, but did have a decorative fretwork grill supported by brackets. This porch served as the main entry until the 1928 classroom addition was completed. The porch was removed and the doors converted to windows during the 1960s, apparently to accommodate new restrooms.
The 1887 portion of the school is constructed of hand made red brick, which was fired less than a quarter mile away. The bricks, which measure 8"x2"x3 1/4", are less uniform than those on the 1907 addition but are in excellent condition. The building was repointed with what appears to be a soft mortar, although minimal Portland cement repointing also occurred. Both the 1887 and 1907 sections have a beveled dressed limestone water table. Rather than a cornerstone, two of the water table stones on the southeast corner of the original building were engraved with the building's date and names of its architect (Henry Hebard), contractor, board president and clerk.
In order to improve classroom illumination, two windows were added to the eastern wing's lower story sometime between c. 1905 and c. 1910. Then, c. 1937, two additional windows were added on both stories of the south wing, while the east wing windows were enlarged to their present configuration. The 1939 yearbook boasted, "In the last two years the lighting has been improved by enlarging the windows and putting in new fixtures." As such, two new sills are cut stone and the first floor lintels are cast concrete. The pier between the two pairs of windows has been rebuilt with new red brick. The second story lintel appears to be steel and breaks into the entablature. Two basement sills are cast concrete.
In 1907 the original building was expanded to the east to provide additional classroom and assembly space. This section, which remains largely unchanged, was fashioned as a continuation of the original design. The hipped roof was continued, as were the window design and entablature detail. It has a three-course, stepped-out brick architrave with wood frieze and cornice. The asphalt roof is in good condition. From c. 1907 through at least the 1950s the roof had two, possibly three hipped roof dormers. Photographic evidence indicates that the dormers were in place until at least 1957. All the limestone lintels and window sills are of the same dimension to match the earlier structure, as are the water table stones.
The 1907 addition is constructed of slightly orange manufactured brick, which is in very good condition on the rear elevation, where only slight repointing is needed. The brick on the primary (south) elevation is water damaged at the seam of the two buildings, where the downspout is located. Two basement sills have been replaced with cast concrete on this elevation and some patching of brick has occurred around windows. Ac. 1920 one-story exterior basement entry is located at the building's southeast corner. Constructed with rusticated concrete block with pink beaded mortar, the entry has a gable roof with tongue and groove soffit and gable end.
The 1928 classroom addition is at the southwest corner of the building, with the gymnasium attached to its north. Both are constructed of rust colored brick. The symmetrical south elevation is detailed in the spandrels with decorative brick panels with cut limestone corner blocks. Most of the panels have centered louvered vents, likely original, and pictured in a 1939 yearbook photo. The windows, harmonious in scale and rhythm to the earlier sections, feature cut stone sills and steel lintels. The roof here is flat with a straight, low parapet. When built, it had a central pediment and a stepped parapet above the south entry. These were removed sometime after 1957. The original brick architrave is visible, but the cornice and flat parapet is sheathed in porcelain enamel on steel.
The "new" portion of the building became the primary entrance for the high school. The south elevation features a classical cut stone door surround with double doors and transom. Above is a rectangular stone tablet; the entire entry is topped with a cut stone cornice. A secondary entrance on the west elevation provides access to the classrooms and served as the public entrance for sporting events and community activities held in the gym. The original ticket booth is in the vestibule. Twenty courses of brick above the doorway have been rebuilt with orange brick.
Perhaps the most dominant exterior feature of the 1928 improvements is the extant three-and-a-half story square brick chimney, located near the northeast corner of the addition. The decorative brick cornice is in keeping with details found throughout the building's design. The gymnasium features a bow truss roof, four, 16 1/2 inch brick buttress piers on the west elevation and two similar piers on the east elevation. The west facade has 10 windows with steel lintels and cut stone sills, while the east facade has 7 such windows. The second story windows provide natural light for the gymnasium, while the lower story windows light the locker rooms. The two windows on the second story of the north facade have old limestone sills, apparently salvaged from the original building. Below the windows are doors, which give access to backstage and function as the outside entrances to the locker rooms. Some bricks on the gym show signs of water damage below the sills.
The school's interior retains much of its integrity. Most of the millwork is extant, although most has been painted. Almost all of the floors are hardwood, in varying widths depending on the period. The only exception is vestibules. Other period features include decorative heat and cold air return grilles and extant door hardware including hinges, knobs and escutcheons.
Window and door moldings in the 1887 structure are typical of the period. They have fluted casings with decorative base blocks and bullseye corner blocks. Some of the five-panel doors have transoms, and most rooms have heavy crown molding. Rooms and hallways have tongue and groove wainscoting. Floors are 2 1/2 inch hard maple, with the exception of tile in the vestibule, where the staircase was removed. Some rooms have built-in bookcases/cabinets. Of special note is a slate lab table with sink that remains in the science room.
In contrast to the elaborate trim in the oldest part of the building, the trim of the 1907 structure is detailed only by corner guard on the vertical trim and bead mold above the lintel. This section also has 2 1/2 " maple flooring. Walls are also wainscoted. Crown molding in the addition is also scaled down. The second floor library, which was the original assembly room, features a beamed ceiling and heavy crown molding. All original casings and millwork remain. Based on photographs, trim was originally stained but is now painted. A laminated fir beam reinforces the opening between the 1887 and 1907 buildings.
The 1928 classroom wing has simple window and door casings with a slight pediment at their tops. The three-panel doors have glass and transoms. These classrooms also have chair rails and some have simple crown molding. With the exception of the concrete entries, floors are 3 1/2 " yellow pine. Original stained built-in wall cabinets and teachers' mailboxes remain intact in the school office. The building's main entrance on the south facade retains its original detailing, although the wood has been painted and some panes of glass have been replaced. Six-light double entry hall doors are flanked by six-light sidelights and topped with a divided light transom.
Structural remodeling was limited to removal of the 1887 staircase and the addition of the previously mentioned restrooms in the original vestibule. The two oldest first-floor classrooms currently have hung ceilings with acoustic tile, not a structural change. Based upon photographic records and the appearance of the structural changes themselves, they were likely undertaken during the 1960s, although the hung ceiling looks newer.
The gymnasium interior evokes the past through its composition of historic materials. The room measures 84'2" x 65'4", plus a stage at the north end measuring 42'9" x 21'. The walls are faced in 12" x 5" glazed tile colored in orange, tan and terra cotta. The original bleacher boxes are clad in 4" tongue and groove beadboard. Measuring 84'2" x 11'2", the bleachers are a dominant feature and include a built-in compartment for the scorekeeper and an elevated announcer's booth along the east wall.
The ceiling is also painted 4" tongue and groove beadboard. An exposed fire suppression system hangs from the ceiling. Original double doors with protective bars are extant. A single door at the southeast corner opens to the ticket booth, which retains its historic character. The 3 1/2 fir floor is painted for a basketball court, which takes up most of the 84'2" x 43' gym floor. The stage also has a floor of 3 1/2" fir.
Locker rooms and showers for athletic participants are located in the basement underneath the gymnasium. In the central portion of the basement, underneath the 1887 section of the building, are the heating boiler and other mechanical systems. In front of the boiler room, towards the south side of the building, are several storage rooms. To the east of the boiler room, underneath the 1907 addition, is a room that housed the school's home economics classes, according to David Shepard of the Kendall County Historical Society. Long-time school custodian Delbert Marklein said that agriculture classes were held in the basement while he attended high school from 1929 to 1933. He said the basement then had three classrooms and two bathrooms.
Over the course of 104 years, the various classrooms were used for different grades at different times, although use of a second floor science room and library apparently has been consistent. According to Mr. Shepard, during the 1920s first and second grades were in the first floor room at the east end of the building, the 1907 addition, while third and fourth grades were immediately to the west, in the original section of the building. To the west of the original hallway, to the rear (north) was a classroom for fifth and sixth grades, while seventh and eighth grades were in the room on the front (south) side of the building, west of the hallway. Upstairs were the science room, library and high school classrooms. There was no kindergarten.
A one-story wood building was added to the rear (north) of the original section during the 1920s. Demolished in 1960, this addition initially was used for seventh and eighth grade classes. It is now paved over and part of the large playground and parking area behind the school.
South front elevation (1994)
South elevation (1994)
East elevation (1994)
North elevation (1994)
West elevation (1994)
South and west elevations (1994)
Entry hall (1994)
First floor hall (1994)
Library on second floor (1994)
