The Earl School, near Earl, Colorado in Las Animas County, Colorado, was built in 1909. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.[1] It is a rare example of a surviving building associated with rural black Americans in Colorado.[2]

Earl School
School building in 2017
Earl School is located in Colorado
Earl School
Nearest cityEarl, Colorado
Coordinates37°19′49.46″N 104°16′41.03″W / 37.3304056°N 104.2780639°W / 37.3304056; -104.2780639
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1909
Built byPeter Finn, Sr.
Architectural styleLate 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements
MPSRural School Buildings in Colorado MPS
NRHP reference No.13000844[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 23, 2013

It was built by Peter Finn, Sr. The listing included two contributing buildings on approximately 1 acre (0.40 ha).[1]

The school's listing was consistent with standards set in a 1999 study, the "Rural School Buildings in Colorado Multiple Property Submission".[1][3] The school and its site were deemed significant for its association with schooling in the area, for its architecture/engineering, and for potential for information to be discovered in the future,[1] as might be discovered in an archeological dig at the site.

It served students for 37 years. Significantly, "African American students from a nearby African American farming colony and Hispanic students attended the school along with some Euro-American students."[4]

The location of the school was not disclosed by the National Register when it was listed in 2013; it is recorded as "Address restricted" in the National Register Information System,[1] as is generally done for archeological sites. The site, however, is described with photos by History Colorado online, including in 2017.[2] It is visible off U.S. Route 350, at non-signed "Earl", between Model, Colorado to the north and the Trinidad Correctional Facility to the south.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Astrid Liverman; Heather Peterson (February 2, 2017). "National African-American Heritage Month - Earl School, Las Animas County". History Colorado. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Suzanne Doggett; Holly Wilson (March 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation: Rural School Buildings in Colorado". National Park Service. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  4. ^ "Earl School". History Colorado. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Google Satellite view and Google Streetview
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