Town Hall School - Georgia's First School

Make a U-Turn on Town Hall Drive and proceed north back toward County Road T. Cross the County Road T intersection and stop near the rise of the hill. To the right is a private residence that was once Town Hall for the Township of Sun Prairie, constructed in 1868. To the left is land that was owned by the Tottos and the location of the Town Hall School, District #5, constructed circa 1868. Georgia first attended grade school here, just across the road in front her home, in 1891.

Both the Totto and O'Keeffe families had close ties to the Town Hall School. School records as early as 1869 include payments to G. Totto, Catherine O'Keeffe, Peter O'Keeffe, and Francis O'Keeffe for services performed. These services included painting, cleaning, building fires, and providing materials like desks, flags, and firewood. Alletta (Ollie) Totto, Georgia's favorite aunt, taught the spring term in the Town Hall School from 1879-1882. Her wages on June 1, 1882 amounted to fifty-four dollars for the past school term.^[1]

Georgia’s first school was typical of those serving farming communities in the late 1800s. Starting at age 5, she would walk across the road in front of her home to attend classes with her siblings and neighboring children of various ages. This area, known as the “O’Keeffe Neighborhood,” was the local center of activity, housing both the grade school and the Town Hall that served the outlying Sun Prairie community.

In farming communities during Georgia’s youth, it was common for teachers to board with local families for the school year. One such teacher was Blanche Hayden Edison (Mrs. Zed Edison), who taught at the Town Hall School and lived in the O’Keeffe home during the 1895 school year. Citing Edison’s memories of Georgia during her childhood years:

“My first job was schoolteacher in Sun Prairie township school. Georgia O’Keeffe was in school, at the time about 7 years old, I think… The oldest brother and Georgia were at the unanswerable questions age. I don’t believe Georgia thought teacher was very smart… Georgia was at the tattletale age, and repeated anything out of regular routine to her mother. However, she was good, quiet, and had her lessons. She did not mingle with the other children much. In fact, the family rather kept to itself. Many times when questions weren’t answered, I was told, “Well, I’ll just ask Aunt Lolo; she knows everything.” Aunt Lolo was Aunt Lolo Totto, a much loved and respected teacher in Madison schools for years.”^[2]

Georgia reportedly excelled as a runner and catcher, useful qualities in the schoolyard game “Andy, Andy, over the schoolhouse,” where a ball is thrown over the school and the child on the other side would catch it and run to tag someone else. Neighbors would say Georgia could beat most of the boys in running and climbing trees.^[3]

After attending Town Hall School for 8 years, 13-year-old Georgia was sent away from Sun Prairie for her first year of secondary school. Her parents selected the Sacred Heart Academy (now Edgewood High School), a Dominican convent boarding school located in Madison, for the continuation of her education. She changed schools again a year later, this time attending Madison High School while living with her brother in the home of their aunts Lola and Ollie on the shores of Lake Monona. In 1903, the O’Keeffe family moved to Williamsburg, Virginia and Georgia continued her education at the Chatham Episcopal Institute (now known as Chatham Hall) in Chatham, Virginia.^[4]

Town Hall School remained in use until circa 1954. Georgia’s last known visit to the site was in approximately 1942, when she was photographed on the steps of the school. This photo can be seen at the Sun Prairie Historical Library & Museum.

^[1] SPHLM Object ID M96101-04: District #5 Town Hall School: Account Book 1867-1954. Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum.

^[2] The Sun Prairie Star-Countryman (Sun Prairie) September 2, 1948.

^[3] Pollitzer, Anita. A Woman on Paper: Georgia O’Keeffe. Simon & Schuster Inc., New York, NY, 1988, p. 62.

^[4] Pollitzer, p. 68.