By Roz Weis,
Roger and Dorothea Dahlen of Decorah bought a vintage one-room schoolhouse and promptly moved it to their acreage north of Decorah. They have converted it into a sweet little getaway, right in their own backyard. The schoolhouse sports the No. 5, as it was Clay Hill Schoolhouse No. 5 back in bygone era.
There are some quiet nods to a bygone era in the walls of the restored one-room country schoolhouse owned by Roger and Dorothea Dahlen of Decorah.
The once abandoned schoolhouse is just off Locust Road north of Decorah, and the Dahlens have been working to revive it ever since they purchased the property in 2018.
The former Clay Hill School No. 5 — also known as Matter’s Schoolhouse — has been painstakingly transformed into a quaint guest house/Airbnb.
A history lesson
The Clay Hill School dates back to the mid-1900s. Its walls once echoed with the voices of young pupils whos as they practiced their handwriting, geography, spelling and history lessons.
After the end of the rural country school system in Iowa in the 1960s, the schoolhouse was closed. It was later moved to an area near a former popular Decorah destination, Wonder Cave, which was situated north of Decorah. The schoolhouse was used as an office at the historic site for several years but had sat empty since the 1970s.
“For many years, I drove past the schoolhouse on my way into town from our farm in Sattre,” Dorothea said. “I was always curious about what it was used for. I knew Wonder Cave had been closed since I was a little girl. In 2018, an acreage came up for sale by John and Suzanne Matter. I talked Roger into at least looking at it. He was retired already, and I had plans to do so in a few years. To me, the 5-acre property seemed a perfect compromise to living so far out in the country and still having a beautiful country home.”
After some serious discussions, the Dahlens sold the farm where they had lived for 25 years and purchased the Matter property.
The schoolhouse, which was situated a bit farther from their homestead, was part of the deal — for a price of $150. The Dahlens moved to their new home in December of 2018 and began remodeling efforts on their residence, which eventually included moving the school house to a new foundation elsewhere on the property.
“First thing was to get lots of rock to make a driveway up to the back of the yard to access our new garage and shed,” Dorothea said. “Bruening Rock was available whenever we needed them, and we soon had a favorite driver named Joel. Roger had many years on the Winneshiek County Road Department so he was able to do all the grading himself.”
Dorothea said it wasn’t until the next spring that Roger surrendered to the idea of the school house being moved onto the acreage — the historic structure had less than a city clock to travel. Dorothea said her husband’s commitment to the idea nearly brought her to tears — and she had a vision for the former school house.
“I wanted it to be a guest house for our large families,” she said. “I have eight brothers and sisters, and Roger has five siblings. We had no idea that a ‘remodel’ for the schoolhouse would eventually turn into basically a new build.”
Among their first efforts was the search for a mover. Alysworth House Movers, a Wadena firm, was selected after a new full basement was poured. The desired location was cleared of brush, and a majestic willow tree on the lot was trimmed to allow for the move.
“E&B Christopher Construction was amazing, digging the basement and sewer lines and leveling the lot,” Dorothea said. “We poured the basement with the help of Dale Hovden Cement. He was great to work with, and Roger was also knowledgeable with cement and he was always helping with every phase. Kurth from Waukon came in with a pumper with cement from Croell.”
By August, it was time for the movers to come.
“It is quite an interesting process, and they were experts at their work,” the Dahlens recalled. “The old cement block foundation crumbled in when they lifted it up to move. Christopher’s filled in the hole later with the dirt that had been dug out to make the schoolhouse basement.”
Dorothea said, once the schoolhouse was in place, the demo was basically a job for the Dahlens themselves, with some occasional help from friends. Roger began tearing the walls down to the studs, and the couple was able to save the school house’s original chalkboard to use again — removing it came with an unexpected surprise.
“When they tore off the lime green painted sheetrock, it revealed another older chalkboard behind that still had writing all over it,” Dorothea said.
In total, the Dahlens discovered five panels, each bearing information for a different school subject. Chalk marks spelled out a listing of cabinet seats under former President Grover Cleveland, the written names of the rural country school students — surnames like Matter, Stegen, Anderson, Bigler, Brynsaas, Moen and others — math problems from a previous era, spelling words for the school house’s former students and a huge drawing of a cat on a stump — Dorothea said she and Roger tried to carefully save the antique artwork, but the old board crumbled to pieces.
“There was no way of knowing when that old chalkboard had been written on for the last time, but it was really eerie to see it in perfect shape with beautiful handwriting,” she said.
However, they were able to save other materials, such as the shiplap they discovered behind the sheetrock.
“Roger pulled it off carefully, to be possibly used in the remodel,” Dorothea said. “He would lay each board on the floor and my sister Theresa and I would pull and pound out all the old nails and carry the boards to our large shed.”
The demolition took weeks of their spare time and plenty of paper as they attempted to plan out every foot of the project. Once the destructive phase of the project was complete, the Dahlens worked with Travis Grawin of TG Home Improvement to create a renewed space inside.
“We had saved the kitchen that Suzanne had in the main house with her new appliances,” Dorothea said. “It all had to be planned around that placement of the kitchen. The only thing we ended up buying new was a dishwasher. When we first started the project, we were thinking the roof was ok and we could paint the siding, but as Travis ordered new 8-foot windows, and the new doors from Spahn and Rose. We decided we might as well have new siding too…and oh well, a new tin roof would look nice.”
The couple chose an industrial grade carpet at the suggestion of Superior Wood Floors, and rulers were used for the trim backsplash in the kitchen.
The couple’s dedicated team of contractors and experts kept the renovation on schedule, and the workers enjoyed plenty of home-cooked lunches from Dorothea’s kitchen during the job.
“It was as they started studding the new walls that Travis gave the idea to use the shiplap on the ceiling,” Dorothea said. “The original milk glass lights were rewired by Perry Novak (Electric) and hung after. They really looked great with the dark ceiling.”
Soon it was time to look to furnishings for the converted school.
“There was still the plan of it just remaining a guest house,” Dorothea said. “I had a lot of furniture already, but I am an avid Depot Outlet customer and like to redo furniture. I also stopped at What’s New antique store for some nice finds.”
Among her treasured finds from her thrifting expeditions is an antique wrought iron king-size headboard and some quaint nursery rhyme pictures – in keeping with the schoolhouse theme.
As a nod to the Matter family, a sign denoting the building as the “Matter’s Schoolhouse” was erected.
“It was a delightful surprise for John and Suzanne (Matter),” she said. “The walls are filled with children’s art from my nieces and nephews and my grandchildren. Since, I have added many more, from children that have visited.”
Schoolhouse No. 5 complete
The old one-room schoolhouse now boasts many rooms, with a full bathroom on each floor and several designated sleeping areas. The open area in the basement includes another queen-size bed and a day bed which can be made into two singles. The laundry room doubles as a space for teenagers, with a fold-up cot available if larger groups rent the space.
“In March, we hosted a dinner party for close friends and unveiled the schoolhouse on that Saturday evening,” Dorothea said. “Little did we know that it would be the last time we would hang out for a long while. COVID hit that Monday, and the world went into protective action. That spring, the deck was finished, and we found a cute place to add a slide right off the deck. Roger seeded the lawn with a grass seed mix from Thornton Feed. It gave us a thick lush lawn that is just so pretty. A parking pad big enough for four cars was poured by Dale again. We hung a heavy iron bell — a gift from my sisters — and last came the steel No. 5 signage, a gift from a dear friend — made at Gemini.”
Dorothea said the pandemic felt like one of the longest periods in her life, as she and her family members were kept apart. Her daughter’s wedding took place in October of 2020 — it became a small, private celebration for immediate family, and the Dahlen’s guest house had no visitors.
A dream come true
Dorothea retired in September of 2021, and she listed the former school house as an Airbnb — the rental has been busy since day one, with the Dahlens hosting many families, and Dorothea said resurrecting the schoolhouse has been a dream come true for her.
“This is my calling,” she said. “I love to host and go the extra mile to make people happy. The notes that are left in the guest book are an absolute treat for my soul.
“We can’t thank you enough for the hospitality,” one guest wrote. “A truly amazing host to match a truly amazing space … The other Airbnbs we’ve stayed in don’t come anywhere close to this … we will most definitely be back.”
“What an amazing place to stay,” another guest said. “The place is so cozy and decorated beautifully … I will most definitely be back with family and friends.”
Dorothea said many guests choose to return each year, and the Matter Schoolhouse expects to host its fourth Luther graduation party next spring. Roger continues to help with the lawn and keeps the driveway immaculate — Dorothea said he draws the line at cleaning toilets or making the beds.
Renovation work has continued over the years, including the recent addition of a new blacktop driveway which doubles as a playground for riding toys, basketball and chalk drawings.
It’s been nearly six years since the Dahlens moved to their new home, and they can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor now that the renovated schoolhouse is up and running smoothly.
“Now our families have all spent time here for parties and summer gatherings. Sometimes up to 60 some people,” Dorothea said. “The schoolhouse is happiest when it has many children running in and out playing and laughing.”
More photos here.
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Im going to Decorah tomorrow, for a funeral on Monday, and I will have to at least drive out there to see it. It looks amazing.