Timber School House
In 1877, when
Conejo School
was built, it was for all the children in the valley. Ten years later it
was determined that there was a need for another school in the western
end of the valley as more children had moved into the area.
Interested citizens who
spearheaded the plan to form a new school district included
Cecil Haigh,
Mr. and Mrs. Wadleigh, Richard Hunt and Caspar Borchard. On January 5,
1888, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted to establish the
second school district, the Timber School District. It was called Timber
District because of the tiny community of Timberville, that surrounded
the Conejo Hotel known later as the Stagecoach Inn.
In December 1888, Cecil Haigh sold two acres of his land for a school site for $50.00.
Until the schoolhouse was finished, classes were held in the Conejo
Hotel, now known as the Stagecoach Inn. Miss Mosher, the first teacher,
received a salary of $40.00 per month. Initially there was an enrollment
of 22 pupils. When the building was completed 1889, the class size was
increased by an additional 20 children.
The building was a one-room schoolhouse with two tiny anterooms which were used as cloakrooms. It had blackboards, desks, an organ, a mirror, a broom and dustpan, a shovel, and a coal oil lamp. Each child provided his own slate. The building was heated by a wood stove. There were two outhouses behind the building.
Back
in the 1890's, Conejo Valley school children studied from
McGuffey Readers,
wrote on slates,
shared a single tin cup for drinking and were responsible for the chores
at school. Boys carried in wood from the woodshed and kept the fire
stoked for warmth. On Friday afternoons, the students took turns
sweeping out the school room.
A bell, which hung in the prominent bell tower, called the children to class and signaled recess and lunchtime. Ringing the heavy bell was a special honor, usually reserved for one of the older, stronger boys.
Timber School was used for church services and many community
activities. May Day celebrations and school picnics were especially
popular.
Today's
version of Timber School was constructed by students of Newbury Park
High School under the able direction of teacher, Randy Porter. A host of
volunteers contributed both energy and materials. Many community groups
and individuals donated needed funds for the project.
An effort has been made to portray a schoolroom of the 1890's in furnishings and decor. The contents of the room and its dimensions were found in historical records. Features included are: original wall slate boards from the 1892 Santa Paula High School, wainscoting from Dupar's Restaurant, an early landmark in Thousand Oaks.
Among the antiques displayed are: desks, organ, wood stove and clock,
and 1893 map of the United States and the original California State
Public School Register for Timber School from 1891 through 1893.
The school bell in the tower was specially cast. It is a duplicate of the old original bell which is now located in the grounds of Cypress Elementary School in Newbury Park.
Located in one of the anterooms are pictures and memorabilia of the
original Timber School.
Conejo School
Timber School Pictures