Several months ago, we booked a family vacation via www.vrbo.com. We’ve had friends tell us about their great experiences, so we figured we’d give it a shot.
We wanted to visit the Lake Okoboji area, but every place I looked at was $350 or more per night. On www.vrbo.com, I found this farmhouse on Silver Lake on the fringe of a little town known as Ayrshire, in Iowa. It was about 45 minutes from the Okoboji area, and we didn’t mind driving to save a little money on lodging.
The pictures of the three bedroom farmhouse were inviting and the cost was only $69 per night. We booked it and looked forward to our trip.
This past weekend, when we arrived in Ayrshire, Iowa, we scoped out the business district, which consisted of a cafe and a bar; nothing else. But, this is typical of small towns out in the middle of nowhere.
There was only one thing that really caught our attention as we drove through this town of 139 people. There was this enormous empty school. It was the largest building in town, and looked like it was left to decay in the elements.
After we arrived at our lodging destination, we spoke with some neighbors who resided on Silver Lake. I asked a gentleman who grew up in the area, “How long ago did the school in Ayrshire close?” He told me it had been closed since about 1982. I became more interested in the history behind this vacated small town school, so I did some research on the community and school.
Ayrshire was like a lot of small towns in Fillmore or Houston County, Minn.
The railroad reached the location of the soon-to-be Ayrshire in 1882 and built a train depot, laying a foundation for a community. With Silver Lake nearby, it was sure to be a great place to settle. In 1895, Ayrshire was incorporated.
As the town grew to 391 population by 1940, home to two banks, two grocery stores, a hotel, four denominations of churches, five gas stations, a pharmacy, a lumberyard, a grain elevator, two schools (public and private), and a host of numerous other businesses, I’m sure the future looked bright. Growth probably seemed inevitable and endless.
In 1947, their Catholic high school closed. In the 1980s, the Chicago and North Western Railway abandoned and eventually tore up the rail lines that gave birth to the little town of Ayrshire.
Over the course of less than 100 years, there was a significant rise and fall for this community. By the end of the spring of 1982, the Ayrshire Beavers would be no more. They closed their doors and in 1983 joined up with nearby Ruthven, a population of 700, to form Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District – home of the Titans.
During our stay at the farmhouse on Silver Lake, I went for an early morning run to the town of Ayrshire. I brought my cell phone along to take pictures.
When I arrived in town, I walked upon the freshly mowed lawn to get a better glimpse of the condition of the two-story building.
The architecture was fantastic, and you could tell that the community didn’t just put up a building when they built this school. This building had character, full of brick and carved stone work.
But, as I approached one of the front entrances, I realized how neglected it had become. Someone had broken into the school, and probably multiple times. There was broken glass all over the front steps. The doors, that were boarded up, had apparently had glass in them at one time. A piece of cinder block, probably the vandal’s weapon of choice, laid atop the broken glass. The locks on the doors had been tormented to the point they were barely attached to the doors. And, when I looked up at all of the broken windows, I saw the teal-colored curtains were still hanging in the windows of each classroom. They were tattered and torn, surprisingly surviving the midwestern elements.
I didn’t go in the school building, but I could imagine the flat roof had water damage, creating other issues inside the old facility. I figured there were probably animals present in the building, dead and alive.
As I looked upon this school, I felt bad for the community of Ayrshire. I felt bad for the people.
They built this school with optimism. A community does not take their hard-earned tax dollars and invest in such an edifice of education unless they believe this is important for their future generations.
And, then it all fell apart. The school died along with the community. Now they are left with a shell of a building, vacant for more than 37 years.
How does this relate to us?
Like a lot of rural areas, Fillmore County, Minn., has gone through these same challenges I discovered in Palo Alto County, Iowa (home to Ayrshire).
The railroad came to the area, bringing the excitement of industry and opportunity; settlers and peddlers.
And, when the railroad left, the towns had to adapt to survive and hopefully thrive.
So, how have we adapted?
Fillmore County’s population hit over 28,000 in 1900, and has been on the decline ever since. We currently hover around 21,000 people.
This undoubtedly impacts our ability to fill our schools. But, as we look around Fillmore County, most of our old school buildings have not been left to rot.
In Preston, the Corson family took possession of the old elementary school and turned it into a hotel and apartments.
Chatfield’s old elementary school has become an arts and entertainment venue known as the Chatfield Center for the Arts (aka Potter Auditorium).
With the generosity of Charles Johnson, Sr., Fountain’s elementary school became the Fillmore County History Center.
Harmony’s city hall, library and community center are located in what was once the Harmony elementary school building.
Lanesboro’s old school became Church Hill School Condominiums.
Wykoff’s empty school has been purchased by Rod Thompson and Rick Stockman, and they have undisclosed plans for the facility.
The old Rushford-Peterson school building in Rushford is now taking shape as Well House Ministry.
And, the old Rushford-Peterson school building in Peterson has been purchased by Jon Helland, a Peterson graduate, who has undisclosed plans for the building.
What we hope to see with these old school buildings is some sort of repurposing effort.
Otherwise, we end up with an eyesore that projects an image of a dying community.
When a school dies, the community doesn’t have to die with it.
We just need to be creative and open to new ideas.
Marci Ferguson says
I’m trying to find more information on Silver Lake outside Ayrshire, Iowa.
At one time, I heard there used to be a dance hall on the lake and a 10′ diving board on the beach. After the war, it turned into a roller skating rink. Any information on this, or about the lake, would be appreciated!
Thank you.
James Degnan says
I was a 1951 graduate from Ayrshire. I have many memories of my junior and senior years at the school. I too, have visited it recently and noted the damage and decay. Too bad, but probably inevitable. I was never an athlete, but I remember the baseball and basketball games. The teacher-coach was Mr. Opien. He had red hair and we accused him of being a communist i.e. his red hair. I remember Howard Merril, Dick Kibbie, Duane Schenazki , Jim Mortensen, and others that were regulars on both basketball and baseball. I remember an embarrassing time when I was alllowed to “suit up” for a basketball game against Lake Mills High (I think). Ayrshire was leading by a zillion points and Mr. Opien allowed me on the court.
I got the ball and I think I tried to actually shoot at the wrong basket! I never suited up again.
We used to sneak a cigarette break in our cars in the parking lot and frequent visits to Elmer Smiths (God bless this mortgaged garage) DX gas station for candy. Tiny Wier had another gas station right across from the school. He would let us wash the dirt and grime off of our cars during the winter. That was always a waste of 50 cents, because as you know, it would snow-rain the next day and our cars would again be dirty.
I have stayed in touch with a few of my fellow classmates, Unfortunately as you would know, we have lost many. We had several class reunions. The first was our 50th and our 60th was a combined one with previous years at the Emmetsburg Casino. We had a great turnout. I try to phone the few remaining classmates every now and then. It is always nice to hear them and repeat our recall of things that happened at school
I hope this message will result in further contact with all of you who know the school and the Ayrshire community.
Fern Bohn Wells says
My mother attended the Lake Center school. Her last year was 1932. I taught at the Ayrshire school for six years. – 1963-1969. Both sons attended Elementary there from there 1964-1969.
Kelly says
I just visited this school this weekend. (10/2020). It is just as you described. My Dad was born in 1929 and attended this school til 8th grade… so that would have been from about mid 1930s to 40s. We did, however go inside… very interesting, and kind of sad.
Leslie Eagle says
Oh my gramma probably knew your dad! I’m going there today – my gramma (b. 1927) and her sisters (1 younger, 3 older) went there, and my dad (b. 1952) went there for a year in Kindergarten when his dad was stationed in Korea (he and my gramma lived with her parents that year). I found the building by searching the streets on google maps with the picture of the school from her yearbook in-hand! A gorgeous building.
Virginia Lowe says
I also went to this school K-11. We go back every couple of years to visit. It is so sad to see our old school in condition
Sheila Anderson says
I attended Ayrshire High and graduated in 1962..lots of good memories!
Sheila Anderson says
Ps..my mom worked at the grocery store when I attended school. AYRSHIRE school was my life.,basketball,softball,so glad for the memories ….
Jason Sethre says
Angie,
Yes, we drove by what I think is the old school building you are talking about, based on your location description.
It was on a corner across from what appeared to be a former gas station converted into a residence. The old school building was smothered with vines and surrounded by corn planted all the way up to every wall.
It sounds like the history of that region has been full of challenges. Thank you for shedding some light on the history.
I also found this blog during my research: http://www.iowahighwayends.net/ends/ia314.html
Jason Sethre
Angie Johnson says
I grew up near here in the 80’s–actually north and west a bit–in Terril, Iowa. Terril itself absorbed another school–Lake Center in the 70’s. You could have driven past this abandoned building as well on your way to Lake Okoboji. (See this article: https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/lake-center-consolidated-school-remembered/article_12c5a4f0-1be9-583e-bfed-c56413fe6ede.html ). Ruthven-Ayrshire was in our conference for sports.
I don’t know for sure if I ever spent time in the Ayrshire school building–as I would have only been 10 years old when they consolidated with Ruthven, but I do remember at the time there were 2 conversation topics that stood out even to a young girl since both had the potential to change my world into something totally unrecognizable-, the 80’s farm crisis/farm foreclosures, and small school consolidations. Farm neighbors far and wide were at their wit’s end trying to figure out how to hold on to their way of life, and the areas schools and towns were seeing their main source of students and financial viability drying up.
Throughout my school years, the “threat” remained–of losing our town’s identity. It seemed like every year, there was yet one less team to play as the schools combined. Eventually the names got so long they were too hard to fit on a jersey or a uniform and a new school name had to be chosen. Scattered throughout the region are the scars of those consolidations, memories of the towns and school districts in a dwindling few aging residents to remember the rich history of places like Everly-Clay Central, South Clay (Webb and Gillett Grove), Laurens-Marathon, West Bend-Mallard, Harley-Melvin-Sanborn, Harris-Lake Park, Armstrong-Ringsted, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Sioux Rapids-Rembrandt, and Buffalo Center/Rake/Lakota/Thompson/Titonka (now known as North Iowa).
It wasn’t for lack of caring, it was just that the towns were dependent almost solely on agriculture once the railroads and packing companies left the area. The previously mentioned Lake Center school building was bought by one of the local families and they used the gym to store grain. Here in Southeast Minnesota some of the same challenges existed and still do, but the proximity of diverse businesses such as Mayo and IBM likely kept enough money filtering into the area communities to keep them alive through the farm crisis. Northwest Iowa didn’t have that advantage.