Little White Schoolhouse

The Little White Schoolhouse is a one-room wooden school building in Ripon, Wisconsin, with a gabled roof and clapboard siding. The structure has windows on both sides, pilasters framing the entrance, and maintains its simple, classic design throughout.

On March 20, 1854, representatives from different political groups gathered in this schoolhouse and formed what became the Republican Party of the United States. This meeting marked a turning point in American politics and gave the building lasting historical importance.

The schoolhouse served as a gathering place where neighbors met for discussions and community events. It shows how small school buildings in rural areas once functioned as centers where people came together to talk and make decisions.

The building is located on West Fond Du Lac Street and operates as a museum displaying objects and papers from the founding period. Visitors can walk through the interior and examine original documents, artifacts, and reproductions that tell the story of what happened here.

The building originally stood in a different location and was moved several times over the years, yet it kept all its original parts and details. Despite these relocations, it still looks much as it did when it was first built, making it a rare example of original architecture that has survived intact.