St. John United Church of Christ
“Professor” Strauss, as he was also known, came to Robinson as an educator. In 1888, after a storm had wrecked the public school in Robinson, John Strauss organized what became the Robinson Academy. The site of the Academy was northwest of the church. In the year 1922 this institution was taken over by the Evangelical Synod of North America which operated the Academy until November 25, 1928, when a fire destroyed the Academy building. The school was able to finish the school year, but, unfortunately, the Academy never reopened.
Although the Academy was not an integral part of St. John's church it certainly was closely associated with it through the personality of the professor and the pastor in John Strauss. Another factor that made for a close association between St. John and the Academy was that a very large portion of the young people of our congregation received their schooling there.
