Fond du Lac, Wisconsin — The Republican Party of Fond du Lac County is deeply disappointed to announce that despite a recent decision by the National Historic Landmark Program and the National Register of Historic Places Program, the Ripon Chamber of Commerce plans to relocate the Little White Schoolhouse — which is the birthplace of the Republican Party in Ripon, Wisconsin — at 9 am on Monday April 17th, 2023.
Our county party recently submitted an open records request regarding the proposed relocation of the Little White Schoolhouse to 1074 West Fond du Lac Street, in Ripon. We received a copy of a letter written by the Wisconsin Historical Society and sent to the Ripon Chamber of Commerce, as well as local, state and national officials which informed the recipients that the National Historic Landmark and National Register of Historic Places programs jointly determined that moving the building to the proposed location was not appropriate. As a result, the move was not approved and would result in automatic delisting from the National Register of Historic Sites and the National Landmark Registry.
The Republican Party of Fond du Lac County believes that delisting the property will have serious implications for the building’s historical significance. We believe that the Little White Schoolhouse is a crucial part of Fond du Lac County’s history, and we remain committed to ensuring its spot on both registries. We also recognize that it is vital to respect the National Historic Landmark and National Register of Historic Places Programs’ decision.
We are extremely disappointed that the Ripon Chamber of Commerce has chosen to disregard this decision and move forward with their plans to move the Little White Schoolhouse despite the consequences.
Moving forward, we urge the Ripon Chamber of Commerce to reconsider their decision and find a more suitable location that meets the necessary criteria for listing in both programs and would allow the building’s status as a National Historic Landmark to be restored.
