Get Schooled on St. Louis Park's First School

Long before St. Louis Park youngsters were running off to or , a one-room schoolhouse was the destination of choice.

The Pratt or Prattville School was built in the fall of 1859, and was located at the northeast corner of the intersection of Excelsior Boulevard and Pleasant Avenue (later to be known as Wooddale Avenue), according to the St. Louis Park Historical Society.

Local boys attended the school only during the winter term—the rest of the year they worked on local farms. The historical society reports that these students were known for torturing their teacher.

In 1866, the schoolhouse burned down, but it quickly reopened a year later. By this time, the Pratt School was up to a whopping two rooms.

The school remained operational until 1890, when Lincoln School opened. Two years later, the Pratt building was moved "across the marsh" to Pennsylvania Avenue and Lake Street, where it was variously called Oak Hill School and South School.

In 1918, the original Pratt building was replaced by a brick building at Walker Street and Quebec Avenue that was named Oak Hill School.

If you have St. Louis Park history you'd like to share—including text, photographs and possibly video—please email local editor Michael Rose at michael.rose@patch.com.