Bichet School, Florence, KS (2) - a photo on Flickriver

**Bichet School, District 34** - National Register of Historic Places Ref # 03001498, date listed 1/28/2004

4.5 mi. E of Florence on US 50 and 1/10 mi. N of Bluestem Rd.

Florence, KS (Marion County)

Bichet School District 34 is located four and one half miles east on Highway US 50 from the junction of Highway US 50 and US 77 at Florence, KS and one-tenth of a mile north on Bluestem Road. The school house was built in 1896 by Oscar Johnson, a local stone mason. Oscar Johnson worked at the Horner Quarry, one of several in the Florence area during the early years of its founding. Mary Lalouette Grimmett, the granddaughter of August Lalouette early 1876 pioneer, was told the school house was built from the limestone found at the site. The vernacular architecture is symmetrical and rectangular in form, with three windows on each side, a gable roof, double door, and bell tower.

The school was built in 1896 and continued to serve the community until 1946 when it closed because of low enrollment. The last class had two students. August and Georgia Lalouette, owners of the site, purchased the school house for $600 when it was sold at auction. The coal house, merry-go-round, furnishings and books were sold, also.

The Bichet School stands as the second school to serve the settlement. Prototypical in its design and use of native limestone, the school represents one of many one-room schools that were constructed every three miles or so in each township. These schools were funded with public money and usually stood on an acre of land donated by a farmer. Until consolidation forced the closure of many of Kansas's one-room schools in the 1950s and 1960s, Kansas children learned their ABCs and algebra in small groups taught by only one teacher. For the students at the Bichet School, the educational experience must have been unique. Serving a primarily French speaking student population, lessons were taught in English but the cultural identity of the school was enhanced through the bi-lingual abilities of the students. (1)

References (1) NRHP Nomination Form npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/0b21affc-e209-4cba-b055-f...

Taken in: United States / Kansas / Cedar Point (show map)

Taken on: August 27, 2020

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Camera: Sony ILCE-6000, f/11.0, 1/250 sec, 26mm (=39mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony ILCE-6000
Aperture:	f/11.0
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	26mm (35mm equivalent: 39mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Landscape
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Scene Capture Type:	Landscape
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	ILCE-6000 v3.20
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