The October 6, 1923 issue of the Oak Creek Times states that a new school was needed because the old school was thought to be unsafe and was to small. The election for the new school had the largest voter turn out of any special election in Oak Creek. The location for the new school was decided to be on the hill above town where the militia left water and sewer lines intact after the mine strikes ended in 1917. The school was built in 1924 at a cost of $80,000. The first classes were held in 1925. It is one of the few school buildings of its time that is still being used as a school. It has housed kindergarten through 12th grade and is currently Soroco Middle School. In 2000 the school was placed on the Routt County Register of Historic Properties.
The school building is an example of Mission Style architecture with curvilinear-shaped gables. The school also has stucco finish, is a two story building with a front facing T shape floor plan and two matching entryways in the front. The flat roofline is stepped up at the corners and trimmed with brick. A single interior chimney that is decorated with the same diamond pattern that adorns the exterior walls tops the building.
Information gathered with the help of Mike Yurich of the Historical Society of Oak Creek & Phippsburg by Erica at Soroco High School, May 2004.
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![Picture from 1924 [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/history/new_building_cropped.jpg', ' Picture from 1924',694,480));)
![Picture from 2004 [Click here to view full size picture]](javascript:showPic(new picObj('media/history/p1010002.jpg', ' Picture from 2004',800,600));)