Patten Consolidated School

The Patten Consolidated School was constructed in 1914 for the township of Patten. The Patten Consolidated School represents the first school in South Dakota to take advantage of new education legislation passed by the legislature in 1913 regarding the organization of school districts and the allowance for townships to consolidate their efforts in the mandatory provision of education. On December 4", 1913, a vote was taken in the Patten Township concerning the potential consolidation of 4 one room schoolhouses. The voters overwhelmingly supported the consolidation plan and on March 30, 1914, the school district voters approved bonds in the amount of $10,000 for the erection of the Patten Consolidated School. DF Baughman, Superintendent of Aurora County schools, assumed the responsibility for the implementation of the innovative approach.

Obviously this approach to education was watched closely by other small school districts around the state. The major concern of most was whether or not compatibility could be achieved by all four schools affected by the significant change. Each of the four schools had to surrender a certain amount of local control in order to have a larger, more modern school with more than one classroom, and a small gymnasium and stage. In addition to those attractive features, the school children would have indoor bathrooms and plumbing in there for the first time. The consolidation effort proved to be very successful and later many other school districts followed the same strategy.

The Patten School still maintains its architectural integrity from its period of significance. Although some window openings have been enclosed and interior modifications completed, former students would easily recognize the location and setting as they might have more than a half a century ago. The Schools in South Dakota Context allows for some window change without negatively impacting the historical significance of the school. Since the Patten School is being nominated under Criteria A, the window changes in the school do not affect the school's eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places. The environment in this rural area is unchanged from the time the school was built and the feeling and association with the building definitely retains the linkage to education. Because the building served as a school until 1964, the period of significance is 1914, the date of construction, to 1957, the accepted fifty-year cut off date.