Abandoned 1911 School in Louisburg, Minnesota
Louisburg is a small town in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, about 55 miles west of Willmar, or 50 miles northeast of Watertown, South Dakota.
We visited on a Saturday afternoon and it was very quiet. We saw two or three vehicles drive through while we were there, and there were some kids playing too, but just a little activity from what we saw. We visited with the intention of getting photos of the historic 1911 Public School.
The Louisburg School is on the National Register of Historic Places due to its significance as one of Minnesota’s best examples of Victorian Public School Design. It was built in 1911 to replace a smaller school, and was originally intended to house two grade school classes on the main floor and two high school classes on the upper floor.
Louisburg Public School was shuttered in a consolidation wave in the 1960s and has since fallen into disrepair. The roof of this school is open to the elements and you can see through it from the right angle. As a result, the floors are all rotted and crumbling.
A peek through the basement window.
These are the footings from the playground equipment which was removed sometime in the last few years. There’s another blogger who photographed Louisburg when the playground equipment was still in place. See it here.
Louisburg was platted in 1887 and a Post Office opened in 1888. It was decommissioned in 1992.
If the census records for Louisburg are accurate, this town has gone through somewhat of an influx of residents recently. According to the 2000 census, Louisburg had 26 residents, but as of 2010, the census tallied 47.
Emmerich’s, built in 1906, was a grocery store for a time.
A peek around the back.
A sleepy Saturday in Louisburg.
The Louisburg Fire Station sometimes serves as a gathering place and/or picnic spot for the remaining residents.
This monument commemorating the Louisburg Centennial is right in front of the fire station.
The former home of the Allen family.
Homeplate on the seldom used baseball diamond.
Photos by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp, copyright © 2016 Sonic Tremor Media