Castle Dale School

The Castle Dale School is historically significant because it is representative of the educational process for over half of Castle Dale’s history as a town. Since the destruction of the Emery Stake Academy, the Castle Dale School is the oldest major educational structure still extant in Castle Dale. After the construction of the auditorium, the school also became an important cultural and recreational locus for the region. The building is also significant because of the association with its designers, Dallas and Hedges, well-known Utah architects who also designed the McCune Mansion, the University of Utah Park Building, and the Scott and Auerbach Buildings, all in Salt Lake City.

The Castle Dale School is located at 65 East 100 North in Castle Dale, Utah and was added to the National Register of Historic Places (#78002657) on September 6, 1978.

The Castle Valley region east of the Wasatch Plateau was one of the last areas in Utah to be settled. The call to settle this area was issued in early 1877 by LDS Church President Brigham Young. This was to be Young’s last colonization effort before his death on August 29, 1877. The first settlers arrived in the Valley later that year and in 1880, Castle Dale became the seat of newly-created Emery County.

Castle Dale was typical of the Mormon pioneer village. The town was situated near the mouth of a canyon and the early economy was based primarily upon livestock and agriculture. The 1890 census gives the population of Castle Dale as 409.1 William Lever estimated an 1898 population of 750 and noted the existence of “four stores, a flouring mill, harness shop, burr mill and other places of business… and all appear to be in a prosperous condition.” He also noted the presence of two district schools which served 222 pupils and the IDS Emery Stake Academy which was then under construction.

n March 27, 1907, the qualified voters of Emery County School District Number 7 met in the Castle Dale Social Hall to vote on the question of bonding the district and levying a special tax to finance the construction of a new school to replace the existing frame structure in the northeastern portion of town. By a vote of 54 yea and 22 nay, the voters decided to bond the district for the amount of $5,000; and by a 46 to 30 vote, they levied a special 1-1/2% tax to finance the construction of the new school.

At the June 7, 1907 board of school trustees meeting, it was announced that the bonds had been “floated,” the state board of land commissioners being the purchasers. Arrangements had also been made with Samuel C. Dallas and William S. Hedges, architects of Salt Lake for plans and specifications for an eight room school house at the cost of $350.00.

After several sites had been considered, it was finally decided on November 19, 1907 to deed the existing frame school house to the LDS Relief Society in return for their lot north of the public square, where the school building was eventually constructed.

On August 14, 1907, bids were invited from contractors for construction of the new school. By September 3, 1907, the only bid that had been submitted was that of C.P. Anderson for $8,600 to complete the building outside and the first floor interior. This bid was rejected by the trustees and bidding was reopened. On October 22, 1907, C.P. Anderson was again the only bidder and this time the trustees accepted his bid of $9,745 for construction of the building and finish work of both floors. When school convened in September 1909, the building was ready for occupation.

During the early 1920’s, a gymnasium/auditorium building was added onto the west side of the original structure. The school remained in continuous use until 1963. In 1969, the auditorium was converted into an indoor swimming pool facility. The original portion of the building presently houses the Emery County Museum on the second floor and the pool dressing rooms and city council meeting rooms on the first floor. The building is presently owned by Castle Dale City. The city plans to rehabilitate the building and convert much of the first floor into office space.