On This Date In Twin Cities History - June 30, 1866

On this date in 1866, the Jefferson School House in St. Paul’s Fourth Ward was destroyed by fire. Flames were initially seen in the windows of the building’s fourth story, but by the time engines arrived on the scene, the fire was too advanced to save the structure. The St. Paul Daily Press the following day reported that the school was “one of the most elegant and costly educational structures in the city”. The school was built in 1858 at a cost of $8000.