Gold Rush History at the Douglas Flat Schoolhouse
Although the exact date of construction of the Douglas Flat Schoolhouse has not been ascertained, our architectural research indicates it was built between 1854 and 1856. Local children learned their reading, writing, and arithmetic in the one room building from the Gold Rush to mid-twentieth century, and local folk met for church and community activities.
According to one account, it was built as a one-room building in 1852 near Coyote Creek and used as a town hall, church, and for dances. It was later dragged up the hill to be used as a schoolhouse as well. Other evidence indicates that it was built in 1854 at its current location by members of the Methodist Church.
“Reputedly, as teacher’s pay in the district was so low, the teachers were allowed to pan on the school property and keep whatever gold they recovered.”
One certainty, however, is that the Douglas Flat School District was established February 12, 1856, and the building became a school. Children studied there until 1956, when the school was closed due to lack of students (it re-opened briefly as a kindergarten in the 1970s).
Douglas Flat Schoolhouse was always more than just a school. It was and continues to be a hub for communal gatherings that draw people from the surrounding Northern California communities of Murphys, Angels Camp, and beyond. People celebrate church services, weddings, memorials, and anniversaries in the building. Over the decades, the school was the site of art classes, theatrical performances, scout meetings, lectures, and lively dances harkening back to Gold Rush times.
Historic California Gold Rush Architecture Style
The building is an extraordinarily well-preserved example of classic Greek Revival style that typifies school architecture in California in the 1850s. An addition was added in the late 1800s. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places (No. PH0047279, Historic Building No. 73000397) (https://noehill.com/calaveras/nat1973000397.asp)
A Historic Structure Report prepared by Preservation Architect Mineweaser and Associates in 2019 identified the Period of Significance as mid- to late-1800s and concludes: “the schoolhouse retains the distinctive character defining features of the Vernacular Greek Revival architectural style, popular throughout California and the United States in the 1850s and 1860s, especially in rural communities. The schoolhouse retains its integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association to a remarkable degree.”
How building looks currently
Artist recreation of original building