Forest Grove School Preservation

Forest Grove School Preservation Restoring Forest Grove School, No.5 Forest Grove was one of five schools in Pleasant Valley Township.

Forest Grove School was built in 1873 and is a remnant of the time when most Iowans lived on farms, sending their children to one of the 12,623 or so country schools that dotted the state about every two miles. These schools helped shape the character of the state, and they helped build Iowa’s reputation — somewhat eroded today — as a leader in education, having the highest literacy rate in the na

tion, and its strong support for local control and neighborhood schools. After it closed in 1957, it became the property of Delbert and Jeannette Blunk, who farmed the surrounding land. Delbert Blunk attended school there, kindergarten through eighth grade, in the 1930s. And after he married and had children, the couple’s oldest boys — Larry and David — did so, too. After years of neglect, Forest Grove School Preservation formed its non-profit corporation to bring new life back to Forest Grove School No. 5. Recent milestones in progress include completion of the nomination to have the school listed on the US Park Service National Register of Historic Places.

Stop by Forest Grove #5 on your way to Tug Fest in Le Claire. We're open Saturday 9:30 until noon
08/15/2026

Stop by Forest Grove #5 on your way to Tug Fest in Le Claire. We're open Saturday 9:30 until noon

Last re-enactment day this spring! Coram Deo Academy 3rd grade class visited today!!! We had a great time in class and...
05/20/2026

Last re-enactment day this spring! Coram Deo Academy 3rd grade class visited today!!! We had a great time in class and on the swings!!!!(All of the scholars seem to love the flat wooden seats!). We were blessed with a beautiful day to be outside for lunch and recess, but also had some great lessons in reading, arithmetic, pen and ink, abbreviations and elocution. In music, their favorite song was “Take Me Out to the Ball Game”!♥️♥️♥️They were a fun group!!!😀

LIGHT Academy Homeschool group had a great day at Forest Grove #5! They loved practicing spelling words, pen and ink, ...
05/19/2026

LIGHT Academy Homeschool group had a great day at Forest Grove #5! They loved practicing spelling words, pen and ink, Sears Roebuck catalogues, a matching game with abbreviations, eating out of a vintage lunchbox, the spelling bee, and playing Red Rover!!! They even stayed after the day was over to continue Red Rover! They just couldn’t get enough!😄
I also got more hugs at the end than I have EVER had!!!!♥️♥️♥️

It's Birdies for Charity time, a great way to make your donations go further. Last year we not only got 100%of your dona...
05/15/2026

It's Birdies for Charity time, a great way to make your donations go further. Last year we not only got 100%of your donations but an additional 9%on top of that! If you haven't received a Birdie's form you can donate online at:
BirdiesForCharity.com/Donate Birdies # 1837
Forest Grove School Preservation

What a nice day for Morningstar Academy to visit! We had a great time with pen and ink, recess!!!, Sears Roebuck 1923 c...
05/15/2026

What a nice day for Morningstar Academy to visit! We had a great time with pen and ink, recess!!!, Sears Roebuck 1923 catalogues, readers, and a U.S. puzzle (with 48 states and territories). And, I don’t think I’ve had a more enthusiastic group of singers!!! They loved “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean”, and “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leafed Clover”!!!

Gorgeous day yesterday for a re-enactment with Port Byron Homeschool Group!!! Lots of energetic boys! And some girls e...
05/14/2026

Gorgeous day yesterday for a re-enactment with Port Byron Homeschool Group!!! Lots of energetic boys! And some girls even sewed their own skirts for the occasion! The scholars did awesome in their spelling bee as well!😀

Beautiful day for a one room schoolhouse re-enactment! This Geneseo homeschool group was a joy to host. They poured them...
05/12/2026

Beautiful day for a one room schoolhouse re-enactment! This Geneseo homeschool group was a joy to host. They poured themselves into every lesson and activity. We learned a lot and enjoyed these ‘pupils’ to the max!

Here’s a Friday Fun Fact you may not know. We love visitors of all ages and yesterday we hosted college students majorin...
05/08/2026

Here’s a Friday Fun Fact you may not know.
We love visitors of all ages and yesterday we hosted college students majoring in Education!
We couldn’t be happier to have these students and their professor make their annual visit to the Forest Grove #5 one-room school house. As part of their history in education class, they came and saw firsthand how the teacher’s role has evolved and changed over the last 100+ years! Not to mention the role of the students and families too.
We wish you SAU future teachers all the best!

05/01/2026

Another FGS Friday Fun Fact!

Check out the progress on Forest Grove’s personalized paver walkway. We are very proud of shared memories of past students and families as well as supporters of friends, neighbors and businesses. We invite you to make a tax deductible donation to Forest Grove School Preservation by purchasing a paver and share your memory or special message! The paver order form is available
on our website: forestgroveschool.org
under “What’s New”

Great day to host Heart of Mary Educators Homeschool Group today! From all of their suspenders and overalls on the boys...
04/24/2026

Great day to host Heart of Mary Educators Homeschool Group today! From all of their suspenders and overalls on the boys… to the skirts and dresses on the girls…. these scholars were top-notch all the way to their end-of-day spelling bee!
The weather outside was great for Red River as well!!!😊♥️

Address

24040 195th Street, PO Box 603
Bettendorf, IA
52722

Telephone

+15633325859

Website

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