Seven miles east of Cedar Rapids, Neb., lies a dream.

It sits just off Highway 56 and is recognized as the Plum Center country school, better known by its former students as simply “District 9.”

What is turning this two-room school house into a dream is an idea being put into motion by a former student, Barb Zoucha of Columbus, Neb. With the help of her husband Marv, Barb is in the process of restoring the building into a quilter's retreat. It's an idea that “came all of a sudden,” says this Cedar Rapids native.

Barb had always loved to sew, making quilts what she calls “the old-fashioned way.” When her friends started encouraging her to quilt with them, she declined and wanted to stick to her scrapbooking projects instead.

Two years ago these same friends finally convinced Barb to go on a quilter's retreat with them in Bennington, Kan., hosted in an old-brick building that had been restored. Little did she realize at the time what an inspiration the building would become in her life.

“I just loved how it was decorated,” Barb recalls. “Everywhere you looked were things from your childhood. It was fun to see that and fun to be with a bunch of women who love to do what you do.”

Just when she was hooked on quilting retreats, Barb learned that the owner in Kansas was closing the business because of other responsibilities. “Just as I discovered this, it's gone. Then it hit me so suddenly ... what a great use for District 9.”

Barb had attended District 9 in 1st and 2nd grade. Some of her siblings as well as her father and numerous other relatives are also alumni, so the school has close family ties.

Proud history

Plum Center District 9 was formed in 1873 in Boone County and continued its existence until 2003.

The first school house was a soddy built in 1881, and later replaced in 1886 by a frame building at a cost of $430.

In 1903 the district started nine month school terms. Before there was a fall term of two months and then several weeks off so the older boys could help with harvest. Time off was generally followed with a winter term and sometimes a spring term with another break in between, so students sometimes had three different teachers in one year.

Because of the increasing number of pupils another room and basement were added in 1920, as well as another teacher to teach the 43 students.

The school burned down in December of 1924, and within a week the men of the neighborhood built a ‘two-room shack' so school could continue.

In the summer of 1925, a new building was constructed, accommodating 40 pupils in the lower grades and more than 20 in grades 7-10 which made up the upper room. It remained a ten-grade school until 1950 when the 9th and 10th grades were discontinued.

In the summer of 1947, the school was destroyed by a tornado and rebuilt that same summer in its present design.

In 1961 the building had to be moved because of the newly paved highway, so a new basement was dug and the school moved just west of where it had been, but still on the original grounds.

From dream to reality

The school house had been auctioned off in 2003.

Barb recalls attending the auction. “The school was exactly as I remembered it when I was little,” she reminisced.

At the time, the district was having a hard time finding a buyer for the property. “I thought, what could we do with this and couldn't think of anything, and didn't think about it again,” Barb said.

Until the idea of the quilter's retreat dropped in her mind. “I called my husband right away and said, ‘Do you think we could look into buying District 9 for a quilter's retreat?' He said, ‘We'll talk about it',” Barb recalled with laughter.

The building sat vacant for a couple of years, and later sold again to a family that planned on living in the building. The new owner put in a kitchen and bathtub upstairs but eventually vacated it.

When the Zouchas decided to purchase it, they contacted the owner with the request that if it came up for sale, to please give them a call.

Six months later that call came through and the couple bought the school house and the three acres it sits on.

With that purchase Barb began turning her dream into reality, until her husband mentioned they needed to have the building inspected by the fire marshal. The fire marshal didn't think it could be brought up to code and putting in a sprinkler system would be cost prohibitive.

“I was still glad we owned it, but I could not put that much money into it. It would be a bad business decision,” Barb said of the disappointment.

Just when she thought her idea had gone up in smoke, Barb received a letter from the fire marshal who had done research on the matter with a list of things that could be done. Today, the building has a full fire alarm system and is completely up to code.

Since then, the Zouchas have spent the past 19 months working most of their weekends and in between on the school house.

“It doesn't look like it, but we've made a lot of progress,” Barb assured. “I think some people thought I was crazy when I said I was going to do this. But I've got comments from a lot of people that they're so glad I'm doing something with the school.

“I just want this to be an interesting place for people to come and visit. This is one of the nicest school houses in Boone County. It has 1,900 square feet plus a full basement.”

Keeping it original

One of Barb's main goals is to keep the school house in its original state as much as possible.

“That's why I didn't want to move it because I would have destroyed the whole history of it. I just want it to be a nice gathering place.

“It has 12-foot ceilings, and I wanted it to look true with the plaster walls and ceilings. The lights are original. We had to replace windows except for the big ones.

“The floors had an underlayment, then tile, then carpet over that. So we took the carpet out and all last summer I was peeling off the tile, but it protected the (original) floor.”

The retreat can accommodate beds for 16 guests, which will be in the newly finished basement along with a handicapped accessible bathroom. The Zouchas took the original siding from an old porch off the school to decorate the bathroom.

Barb has been attending auctions this past year buying antique headboards and vintage items.

“I buy all these interesting things and I can't wait until I start decorating. What I'm going for is charming and just a fun place to be, surrounded by that environment of kindred spirits.”

Upstairs, the “book room” will be turned into a sitting room where people can sew by hand.

The kitchen will be in the large east room where classes were held. This room still has the original blackboards on the wall. “It will be like a vintage ‘40s or ‘50s kitchen of that era. I'll have a 12-foot long table with mismatched chairs all around it, and use antique dishes.

“When I decided to do this I had it in mind for people who travel. I'll be doing the cooking. I want to make the homemade food like we used to eat, like chicken and dumplings and bread pudding.

“It'll be a mixture of different things and it will be so interesting to meet new people. I've never met a quilter I didn't like.”

The large classroom on the west side will be the sewing room which will accommodate sewing and cutting tables, ironing boards, a couch and vintage chairs for relaxation, and a fireplace. “It will be a comfortable place to hang out, and for women who love to sew, it's great fun to be around everybody else who also likes it.

“In the old days people had to work together just to survive and to make life better for each other. That's what I'm trying to create here in a sense – those old-fashioned values and cooperation. And it's a way to get away from all the high-tech stuff.”

The original boys and girls bathrooms upstairs are also being refinished. An old upright piano similar to the one used at the school was recently purchased at an auction in St. Edward, and Barb is searching for some country school blackboards to replace some that were taken out, as well as pictures of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to hang above the blackboards.

Blending history and sewing

“There's so many memories in this school,” Barb reflected. “It's been such a pleasure to restore it and keep that history alive.

“There have been times when we have been working on it that people just stopped by. They used to go to school here and we have the nicest visits.”

Barb hopes to have the project completed by fall 2011 for weekend and day retreats.

After the inside is complete, they plan on painting the outside, putting in a big pumpkin patch and flower gardens, and having an open house.

“I wanted to save this building. It's a very important part of our rural community that I grew up in and it's still in very good shape,” Barb said. “I like history and sewing, and it just blends together.”