Wiley Agricultural School Building
Location: Wiley
County: Prowers County
Date Constructed: 1938
Built by: WPA
Architectural Description:
This one-story school building is constructed of red and brown random-shaped sandstone with gray mortar creating a “giraffe” effect. Some of the stones are scored. The building is rectangular with two projecting bays in the back. The roof is flat and there is a stepped parapet around three-quarters of the structure. There is a small shed-roof porch at the entrance with decorative wood braces and cut-outs of diamonds, stars and moons under the eaves. There is also a stone curb along the street in front of the school building.
Historical Background:
The agriculture school building was constructed as a WPA project. It was built on the Wiley School campus and was one of several buildings. Several federal grants helped to fund the demolition of the Wiley Equity and the Wiley Theatre buildings at the site, the construction of the new structure, as well as improvements to the land around it. Salvaged materials from the two demolished buildings were used for the new school, and it was stated that “if there is sufficient material obtained from the old building a bus garage will also be built.” The stone used on the exterior was quarried locally. The school building was built to house the agriculture department, the music department and manual training department with a shop. Wood barracks from a nearby airbase were moved and attached to the rear of the building after the end of WWII but were later torn down. After the school vacated the campus in 1973, the structure was used as a senior center, a museum and finally a pre-school. In 2004, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.