Look Inside Minnesota’s Longest-Running Elementary School Before It’s Gone

One of the longest-running elementary schools in Minnesota will soon be demolished, take a look inside before it's gone forever.

Sacred Heart Public School opened in the small town of Sacred Heart and was contracted in 1901. The long-lasting school taught kids for over one hundred before closing its doors in 2009. The school also received multiple expansions throughout the years; it expanded in 1929, 1953, 1964, and 1974.

The building was even listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. You can find the town of Sacred Heart west of the Twin Cities area, towards Montevideo. The town has a population of 548. They even have another building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hotel Sacred Heart which was built in 1914.

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According to the West Central Tribune, a little over two weeks ago a $292,000 project was completed to remove asbestos and other hazardous materials from the school. Demolition on the 80,000 square feet building is set to start next month (May of 2023), and is expected to take about 60 days.

At one point in the school's tenured history, it hosted elementary and high school students. However, in its final years, it served primarily as an elementary school. The school was hoping to put it on the market, however, too many repairs were needed and it was deemed no longer economically feasible for potential buyers.

It was also noted that the the Sacred Heart Historical Society, and the Renville County Historical Society have teamed up to preserve the school’s history. Both societies hold a variety of memorabilia and historical materials from the building.

One YouTuber decided to explore the abandoned school. Let's take a look inside to see what the school looks like before it is just a memory:

Take A Look Inside Minnesota's Longest-Running Elementary School Before It's Gone

Front Doors

Here's a look at one of the entrances of the school

Trophy Case

What's left of the trophy case and an old pay phone next to it.

Elementary Gym

A gym for the elementary school with ascending bleachers and a stage.

The Basement

Looks like it leads to one of the locker rooms.

Shower Room

Yeah, not going to take a shower here

Basement Clock

The clock still works.

Boiler Room

Hallway

A nice-looking hallway with an elevator.

Cafeteria

This cafeteria is called the 'Kids Café'

Kitchen

A nice look at the kitchen area.

Equipment Room

Off a room with exercise equipment was this laying on the floor.

High School Gym

A bigger, updated gym area, go Jaguars!

Wrestling Area

I'm honestly not sure what this area was used for, but it does have "Jaguar Wrestling" on the wall.

Bathroom

Surprisingly, there is still toilet paper left.

Classroom

One of the many empty classrooms.

Messy Hallway

A hallway with a bunch of papers scattered throughout the hall.

Stairwell

I'm not sure where this stairwell leads, but it looks like it could be in a house.

Another Classroom

A classroom filled with chairs and tables.

Library

A look at the empty school library.

Dark Hallway

We'll end the look-through with a dark, empty hallway.

You can check out the full video of the school below: