In 1897 the Slaghts School was built one-half mile from Shawnee on Park County Road 64. In 1899 the Slaghts School became the Shawnee School, since Shawnee grew to a more prominent town. This one-room school contained grades 1 through 8. The enrollment ranged from 2 to 15 students. It was used continuously until 1943 when it was closed and reopened in 1945 for two years. Because Colorado state law mandated consolidation of small schools, the Shawnee School was closed in 1948. The building remained at its original location until 1953 when it was moved next to the Park County Community Center in Shawnee. It was then used for Sunday school. In 1983 the Park County Historical Society moved the school to its current location. The school is a good example of the many one room schools that were in the area from the late 1890s until the 1940s. The rectangular building with tall narrow windows, a front gable, and narrow boards for the siding were typical features of one room schools. Children in a one-room school did much of their learning independently. It was not unusual for older students to help teach the younger ones.
