Founded in 1886 as a community project, the Little Red Schoolhouse was the first schoolhouse in Southeast Florida. Its first seven scholars were taught by Miss Hattie Gale, the sixteen-year-old daughter of Reverend Elbridge Gale—a former horticulture professor at Kansas State Agricultural College who came to the Lake Worth area as both minister and botanist.
Originally located about a mile north of the Royal Poinciana Bridge on the Lake Trail, the one-room school welcomed children from families around Lake Worth. Students arrived by boat, bicycle, or on foot, and pioneer names such as Dimick, Maddock, and Reese filled the attendance rolls. By the 1890s, enrollment had grown to thirty-five students, all taught together under one roof.
When the school closed in 1901, the building began a long journey through Palm Beach’s history—first as a tool shed on John S. Phipps’s property, then as a neglected relic, until it was rescued in 1960 by the Gardeners Society of Palm Beach and relocated to Phipps Ocean Park.
Unused for nearly three decades, the building was revived in 1990 when the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beachleased and restored it to launch its award-winning Living History program. Today, children step back in time for a “mini school day” in the 1890s—writing Spencerian script, reading from McGuffey’s Readers, reciting lessons aloud, joining spelling bees, and playing turn-of-the-century games during recess. The Schoolhouse’s authentic furnishings and pioneer artifacts make it a true immersion into early American education.
Now, as part of the Phipps Ocean Park revitalization project, the Little Red Schoolhouse is undergoing a comprehensive refurbishment to ensure its preservation for future generations. This effort renews the Foundation’s commitment to keeping history not just remembered—but experienced.
Location
In Phipps Ocean Park
2185 South Ocean Boulevard