Our Saturday was spent cruising Highway 101 and visiting unique-to-us places.
One of our favorites is the town of Encinitas. With a rich history, it really demands a read here. Today was just a brief lesson about its schoolhouse."The oldest structure in a beachside California city", this one room school house was built 140 years ago to serve just eight students.In 1883, when English immigrants, Edward and Jane Hammond, reached Encinitas by train, there were 11 people living in town. As the Hammonds brought with them their seven children, plus Mrs. Hammond's father, Tom Latchford, and their eldest daughter's fiancé, they instantly doubled the population.With the now-robust populous, there was an immediate need for a permanent schoolhouse, and the Hammonds, along with a $600 grant from the city, made that need a reality.
The school had one room, one teacher, and catered to all eight of the Encinitas children ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade. Active from 1883 to 1928, it outgrew its purpose and was relocated to become a family residence."In these small buildings students and their teachers learned together.
They shared a unique experience characterized by camaraderie and personal challenge. Despite their many successes, one-room schools were a passing phase in American education. Dwindling rural populations and a move to improve childhood education through consolidated schools, ended the days of the one-room school."
The original schoolhouse remained a home until it was threatened with demolition in the 1980s. Private interest, along with the newly formed Encinitas Historical Society, saved the building and returned it to its original location.Today, the schoolhouse, with its original hardwood floors and hand-forged nails, has been restored to its former glory. What an opportunity to explore it and see what life was like in the early days of Encinitas. With a current population of almost 62,000, it's hard to grasp what the colony was like when the Hammonds arrived. This place offers photos and memorabilia to help understand what once was. So interesting.Having taken all the knowledge I could from the museum, it was delightful to give something back in the form of numerous books to their very sad Little Free Library. I always keep a bag of literary treasures for just such an emergency. Great stop!
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