Oneida Stake Academy

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Oneida Stake Academy
Oneida stake academy preston idaho olsen productions-2023.jpg
The building at its new location in 2023
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Location90 E. Oneida St., Preston, Idaho
Coordinates 42°05′46″N111°52′28″W / 42.09611°N 111.87444°W / 42.09611; -111.87444
Arealess than one acre
Built1890–1895
ArchitectJoseph Don Carlos Young
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
Restored byOneida Stake Academy Foundation
Website oneidastakeacademy.org
NRHP reference No. 75000630 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 21, 1975

The Oneida Stake Academy was a secondary school operated by the Oneida Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1888 to 1922. The academy building was constructed in Preston, Idaho, in 1895, after the stake headquarters moved from Franklin, Idaho, in 1889. [2]

Contents

The Oneida Stake Academy as Preston High School in 1924. Behind the Academy are the former Nielson Gymnasium and Manual Arts Building. The Oneida Stake Academy as Preston High School in 1924 - Pg 251.jpg
The Oneida Stake Academy as Preston High School in 1924. Behind the Academy are the former Nielson Gymnasium and Manual Arts Building.

Among its alumni were Ezra Taft Benson and Harold B. Lee, both of whom later served as church presidents. [3] Medal of Honor recipients Mervyn S. Bennion, Leonard Brostrom, and Junior Van Noy also attended the school.

Following the emergence of the church's seminary program and better-equipped public schools, the LDS Church decided to close its system of secondary academies. In 1922, the Oneida Stake Academy was dissolved, although the public school system continued to use the building until 1990. [2]

Moving the Academy

In 2003, the building was moved using funds raised by the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation and the Friends of the Academy (Oneida Stake Academy Foundation) [4] to a new site called Benson Park that had been donated by the LDS Church. [3]

Restoration and future use

Restoration on the building has been on-going and includes structural reinforcement, masonry repairs, windows, and mechanical systems. [4]

Future plans for the building include providing a museum/interpretive center, a historical classroom, and a large meeting room. The top floor ballroom is expected to be used for a variety of community events or gatherings. [5]

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Fred E. Woods (Spring 2003). "The Forgotten Voice of the Oneida Stake Academy" (PDF). Mormon Historical Studies . 4 (1): 81–100. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Oneida Stake Academy – Ensign Peak Foundation" . Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  4. 1 2 Beckstead, Alexis (2023). Academy Memories: A History of Oneida Stake Academy in Preston, Idaho. Oneida Stake Academy Foundation. pp. 379–391.
  5. ↑ Seamons, Necia (April 22, 2010). "Restoration Plans | Oneida Stake Academy Community & Historical Center in Idaho". oneidastakeacademy.org. Retrieved July 7, 2025.

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