Lone Tree School
Why it's listed
Lone Tree School is a one-room country schoolhouse in Wheatland Township, southeastern Bureau County, Illinois. Built in 1876 on a one-acre lot, it has a limestone foundation, wood walls and an asphalt shingle roof. Inside, wainscoting and plaster walls surround the classroom, the original ceiling is of late nineteenth-century tin squares, and a semicircular stage sits along the east wall. The school took its name from a huge oak that once guided travelers across the prairie. One teacher taught all eight grades, and enrollment reached as many as thirty-three pupils. It closed in 1942 because of declining enrollment, and the remaining four students were bused to Tiskilwa. Wheatland Township later bought the building and uses it as the township hall and the only voting precinct. The property was listed for its association with education. Illinois once had about 12,000 one-room schools, Bureau County had 236, and few survive. Lone Tree School keeps its historic appearance, interior and original location.
Significance in brief: The school is locally significant under Criterion A for its association with education, as a well-preserved rural one-room school. It served Wheatland Township from 1876 until it closed in 1942. It is described as one of the few remaining one-room schools in Bureau County that retains its historic integrity, original location and interior space.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04000418, listed May 12, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 19292 250 North Avenue, Tiskilwa |
|---|---|
| County | Bureau County |
| Listed | May 12, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000418 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1876-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: one-room school |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as the Wheatland Township Hall and the township's only voting precinct. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.18651, -89.48647 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04000418.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q24765600
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.