The late nineteenth-century Lincoln Schoolhouse from southeast of Indianola was moved to the fairgrounds and restored (1965–1969). The clapboard structure has a single covered gable roof; the windows are double hung. The interior has been restored and furnished to represent a typical schoolhouse of the late nineteenth century.

Other buildings within the Historic Area include the pre-1886 Thornton house (an Eastlake-style dwelling) and its original barn; Pioneer Hall (1886, originally the Poultry Palace); and a replica of one of the log block-houses built at Fort Madison.