Criterion A: Education
The West Auburn School is in the rural northwest section of the City of Auburn, Androscoggin County, Maine. The gable-front, Greek Revival-style schoolhouse is significant at the local level under Criterion A for its association with patterns of education and under Criterion C for the distinctive architectural characteristics of a rural one room schoolhouse. The building represents the typical response to evolving educational practices which were often recommended if not mandated by the State of Maine. The school reflects the transition from the autonomous nineteenth century district system to the mid-twentieth century consolidation of town and regional schools. The 1843 building was moved to its current location in 1858 and modified throughout its use as a school to accommodate evolving trends in education. These alterations are significant as they occurred during the period of significance and reflect the evolution of educational best practices and the distinct characteristics of the school that reflect those practices. The period of significance starts in 1858, when it was relocated, and extends to 1950 when the building was last used as a school. Of the many one room schoolhouses once present in Auburn, the West Auburn School is the best remaining example that has the integrity to convey the character of the rural one-room school of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.