Coin School recommended for national registry of historic places

The Coin School located at the Kanabec History Center in Mora has been nominated to be placed on the national registry of historic places.

According to a notice from the history center, the recommendation was unanimously approved by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office on Tuesday last week.

The designation will help the history center apply for grant funding to help the rehabilitation project for the school building.

The Coin School was built to be a one-story schoolhouse in 1899, and expanded with a second room in 1911.

The school operated until 1970, which marked the end of the common school district system by Kanabec County.

The Coin School was moved to the history center grounds, about 9.5 miles north from its original location in Brunswick Township.

At a Kanabec County board meeting in June of 2023, History Center executive director Barb Barnes said the floor of the school had started to cave in due to broken beams under the building.

A cultural heritage grant was also awarded for a required buildings condition assessment to be conducted by a professional historic preservation and architectural team. The assessment will help determine a plan for restoration.

Coin School circa 1912, from National Register of Historic Places registration form.