Washington School House was a public school in Nevada City, California, US. It was dedicated in 1869 on

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

's birthday. The property fronted on Church street, and extended from Pine to Main streets.

History

Construction commenced on September 1, 1868. The structure was fully completed by the contractors and ready for use and occupation in May 1869. The entire cost of the building, which was erected by contract, together with its appurtenances, fencing, etc., amounted to the sum of US$15,000. There were accommodations for the five hundred and twenty pupils and their teachers. The necessary funds for the purchase of the ground and erection of the building were raised by a special tax of one per cent, levied for the year 1868, and 90 cents for the ensuing year.

John Isaiah Caldwell John Isaiah Caldwell (born c. 1828) was an American attorney, miner, businessman, and school trustee. Career Caldwell was a native of Champaign County, Ohio. He received his legal education in his native state, being a student under Judge John A. ...

and A. B. Gregory, who constituted the Board, are credited with originating the enterprise and carrying it out to a speedy completion. The contractors for the work were Mcllvaine and Palmer, of Nevada City, who executed the same in accordance with the plans and specifications of the architect,

William Craine William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

, of San Francisco. The Nevada City Elementary School was constructed on the old Washington School lot and opened in the fall of 1937. The lot is now occupied by Trinity Episcopal Church.

Architecture and fittings

The building, set upon a solid granite foundation, formed a square, . It contained two stories, the first of which, in height, contained four class rooms, , and four wardrobe rooms, each, with a hall in width, from which two stairways communicated with the second story, which contained two class rooms, , and two wardrobe rooms, each, and also an assembly hall, , for school examinations and exhibitions. The front and rear doorways were placed in projections in the centre of the building, each , affording ingress and egress. The entire interior was lighted and ventilated. There were a series of metallic ventilating registers, placed near the floor, which brought in fresh air. There were ventilators near the ceiling, and louvre windows at the base of the cupola. A bell, weighing 350 pounds, was cast in San Francisco.

Grounds

The lot, which cost US$3,000, measured two acres.

References

* {{coord, 39.264, -121.018, type:edu_globe:earth_region:US-NV, display=title Buildings and structures in Nevada City, California Education in Nevada County, California School buildings completed in 1869 1869 establishments in California