Woman in the Middle

San Timoteo Canyon Schoolhouse

Saturday before last (my, doesn’t time fly!) Hubby and I headed east to see a real one room schoolhouse. Known now as the San Timoteo Canyon School house, it is a nationally registered historic site. The little school was built in picturesque San Timoteo Canyon in 1882-83. It was constructed of Douglas fir, probably from the San Bernardino mountains. It was also a community meeting place for the settlers in the San Timoteo Canyon area. The desks were attached to runners so they could be moved aside for dances and other events. In 1937 the San Timoteo Canyon school district merged with the Beaumont school district and the little one room school was closed. It continued to be used for community meetings and as a Sunday school. It was sold by the school district to the Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District in 1993 and was throughly renovated in 2002.

The schoolhouse is open the first and third Saturdays of the month 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. There is always a park attendant available to answer your questions. Most of the time the “school marm” is also at the school, ready to tell you about school life in San Timoteo Canyon.  Amenities include a modern restroom building and picnic tables. The address of the schoolhouse is 31985 San Timoteo Canyon Road, Redlands Ca 92373.

By the way, just driving through San Timoteo Canyon is a treat in itself as the scenery through that area is lovely.  You might spot some large birds of prey so you may want to bring some binoculars. We saw an osprey at the top of a telephone pole, enjoying a meal it had just caught.

This is the inside of the San Timoteo Canyon Schoolhouse. The school marm is sitting up front at her desk.