History of the Schools of Oberlin

The founding of the Oberlin Colony and Oberlin Collegiate Institute occurred in 1833, and just one year later the Oberlin Public Schools were founded, which represents the priority this infant community placed on education. A mass meeting of the citizens voted in 1834 to establish a school district, chose a school board, and elected to construct a building for the purpose of educating Oberlin’s youth.The result of these decisions is what we now refer to as the Little Red Schoolhouse. This was the first public school in town and is Oberlin’s oldest building still standing.