Point School
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Why it's listed
Point School is a small wooden schoolhouse on the corner of Vincennes Trail and County Highway 19 near Grant Park, Illinois. Built in 1854 as District #8 on land deeded by Archibald Morrison, it is a one-story, front-gabled building with clapboard siding, a brick foundation and an asphalt shingle roof. A seven-foot addition in 1919 provided a vestibule and indoor rest rooms, and extra windows and a fire escape door were added in the 1930s. Children in grades one through eight were taught by a single teacher until classes ended in 1948, after which the building became a residence. It is now a school museum furnished with desks, books and maps. A 1992 survey of Kankakee County's former rural schools found few intact survivors. Point School was identified as the only known wood-frame one-room school still on its original site, and possibly the oldest, with its interior intact.
Significance in brief: The school is significant locally under Criterion A for its association with rural education. It is described as a well-preserved one-room school that kept its historic integrity. A 1992 county survey found it to be the only known intact wood-frame one-room school still on its original site in Kankakee County, and possibly the oldest.
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 92001539, listed November 5, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6976 N. Vincennes Trail, Grant Park |
|---|---|
| County | Kankakee County |
| Listed | November 5, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001539 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1854-1942 |
| Architectural style | Other: one-room school |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition; rehabilitated and operated as a school museum with period desks, books, maps and supplies. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.22274, -87.63151 (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 92001539.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28126086
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.