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New listing accounts for recent site change and recognizes early conservation efforts

RIPON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society has listed the Little White Schoolhouse in Ripon (Fond du Lac County) on the State Register of Historic Places. While the Little White Schoolhouse has been on the State Register since 1989, the new listing reflects the current location of the building following a site change in 2023. The new listing also recognizes an additional area of significance due to early conservation efforts of the building.

The Little White Schoolhouse is nationally significant for the role that it played in the establishment of the Republican Party. It was here in 1854 that 54 of Ripon’s approximately 100 voters gathered to establish a new political party, adopting a platform of uncompromising opposition to the extension of slavery. Long acknowledged as the birthplace of the Republican Party, the schoolhouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The Little White Schoolhouse is also significant for its conservation efforts. The building was first restored in 1908 to better reflect its 1850s condition. This restoration effort is one of the earliest known acts of historic preservation in Wisconsin to preserve history for the public and future generations. The Little White Schoolhouse was first operated as a museum by the Ripon Chamber of Commerce in 1931 and has been open to the public continuously since 1953.

In 2023, the schoolhouse was moved to a new site, prompting new applications to the State and National Register. Following the new State Register listing, the application now moves to the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of Interior, who maintains the National Register.

The Little White Schoolhouse is currently owned by the Ripon Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organization, and is operated by the Little White Schoolhouse Museum.

Additional information for the Little White Schoolhouse is available at

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI27174

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.