North Grove School
Also known as: Lindahl School; Brickville School
Why it's listed
Built in 1878 by Swedish immigrants, North Grove School is a white, wood-frame, one-room schoolhouse on Brickville Road, about four miles northwest of Sycamore, Illinois. It sits in a small schoolyard beside a corn field, with a 1920s garage, a 1912 pump, and reconstructed privies. Changes include a 1920s entry and rear storage addition and two extra south windows added in 1919 for more light. Inside are original wall and ceiling boards, a rebuilt teacher's platform, and blackboards. The Swedish Lutheran congregation first used it as a parochial and Sunday school, with some classes taught in Swedish. DeKalb County bought it in 1880, and it served as an eight-grade public school until consolidation closed it in 1952. Illinois later named it a Standard School. It remains on its original site and is described as the county's only surviving one-room school unchanged in structure since its school days. The Sycamore School District now uses it for education.
Significance in brief: The school is argued to be significant for its role in local education. It began as a Swedish Lutheran parochial and Sunday school, was bought by the county in 1880 and served as a public one-room, eight-grade school until 1952. It is described as the only one-room school in DeKalb County that remains on its original site with its structure unchanged since use as a school.
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 12000026, listed February 15, 2012. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 26475 Brickville Rd., Sycamore |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Listed | February 15, 2012 |
| Reference number | 12000026 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1878-1952 |
| Architect / builder | UNKNOWN/Olson, Anton |
| Architectural style | OTHER/one room schoolhouse |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Sycamore School District and used by the district and community as a learning tool; roofing described as in good repair. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.02205, -88.70481 (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 12000026.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29640455
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.