The Drennan School

Pat and I noticed the Drennan School listed on the National Register of Historic Places for El Paso County a couple of weeks ago, and we were very intrigued.  Since neither of us had ever heard of it we decided to take a drive and check it out, even though the weather was forboding.  It got progressively colder and windier the farther we got from Colorado Springs, but we really enjoyed discovering a part of El Paso County's history that we hadn't known of before.  Apparently this little school served much of the rural area outside of Colorado Springs from 1917 to 1955 -- and I think it was kindergarten through 12th grade!  I found the original NRHP registration form online HERE, and it includes a fascinating description of the building.  Apparently it's got three classrooms upstairs, and downstairs there is a bathroom, a kitchen and some bedrooms.  Yes, the teachers lived in the basement!  There was also a "library" upstairs, which according to the description was the size of a closet.  Oh, how schools have changed!

I'm glad this building has been preserved and is still in use.  These days it's a community center.  That part of El Paso County is still sparsely populated, so it's good that there's a gathering place where everyone can get together and socialize, and a historically significant one at that.

And just for fun, here's a picture of the Drennan School in its heyday. It hasn't changed a bit!