In 1998, as part of the state-wide Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Celebration, the West Allis Sesquicentennial Committee – which would become the West Allis Historical Preservation Commission – and the West Allis Historical Society coordinated the relocation of an authentic nineteenth century structure to West Allis.
Education has always been important to the residents of West Allis. The City’s first school was built in 1843 along the Root River, near National Ave. Not long after, pioneers settling along the banks of Honey Creek created their own Honey Creek School House. Over time, the cream city brick Greenfield Township Fifth District School would replace these log structures at what is now 84th and National Ave.. Today, the former Greenfield Township School serves as home of the West Allis Historical Museum.
To celebrate Wisconsin’s 150th statehood anniversary in 1998, the West Allis Sesquicentennial Committee organized fundraising efforts and a team of volunteers to move a historic log cabin from Sheboygan County to Honey Creek Park in West Allis to serve as a representation of the City’s early schools and pioneer past. This log cabin became the Historical Society’s Honey Creek Log Cabin Schoolhouse, a beloved West Allis icon.
Since then, the Log School House has provided educational opportunities for nearly 1,500 local students studying Wisconsin history. Students visit this one-room classroom and experience a school day as it would have been conducted in the 1840s. A docent teacher adopts the persona of William Wallace Johnson or his sister, Marion Johnson Cooper, who were the first teachers at Honey Creek School. Students also join the City’s mayor each December to decorate a live Christmas tree with popcorn, cranberries, and handmade decorations, as the tree would have been decorated over a century ago.
The Log Cabin Schoolhouse is open for touring during the West Allis Historical Museum’s regular hours, and is available for rental for small private gatherings, lectures, or events. Contact the Historical Society to learn more.