The first Mendocino Grammar School was a landmark in the town’s history, serving local children for more than four decades. Before it was built, students attended classes in a small schoolhouse near the corner of Ukiah and Lansing Streets. By the early 1880s, the community had outgrown that building, and in 1884, the school board purchased more than four acres of land at the northeast corner of School and Pine Streets from the estate of Captain David Lansing. A San Francisco architect designed the new school, and local contractor W. R. Hamilton built it for $6,500. Completed in 1885, the structure was one of Mendocino’s largest public buildings, complete with four classrooms, a library, cloakrooms, and an impressive bell tower.
Fire Destroys Mendocino Grammar School, 1929. (Gift of Nannie Escola)
For many years, the school was the center of community life. Its grounds hosted baseball games, social gatherings, and grand balls that raised funds for improvements. Parents and townspeople contributed labor, money, and landscaping to beautify the site. The building was carefully maintained and modernized over time. In 1925, modern plumbing was installed, and a hot-air furnace replaced the individual stoves that once heated the classrooms.
Tragedy struck just four years later. On December 3, 1929, shortly after students returned from recess, smoke was spotted in one of the classrooms. Teachers quickly evacuated the children, who marched out in orderly lines under the direction of Principal Nicks. The town’s fire engine was brought to the scene, but the blaze had begun in the space between the ceiling and roof, making it nearly impossible to fight. Without water pressure nearby, firefighters could not contain the flames, dooming the building. When the fire was over, only the bell tower and the central brick chimney remained, the latter still bearing its “1885” plaque.
A stray horse may have played a part in the disaster. Earlier that day, a horse from a nearby farm had wandered onto the school grounds. During recess, children chased it, and the animal ran up the steps and through the building. Decades later, former student Frank Shine recalled, “About thirty minutes later, smoke started billowing from the attic. Mr. Dietz, the janitor, had a big fire going in the wood stove, and when the horse ran through the hall, it shook the pipes loose – and next thing we knew, the grammar school was burning down.”
Though the destruction of the Mendocino Grammar School was a great loss, the community quickly rallied. A bond issue was passed soon after, and in 1930 a new grammar school was constructed on the same property. That building still stands today, repurposed as Mendocino’s Community Center.
Celebrate Oktoberfest with a live homebrewing demo and beer tastings from Foggy Coast Brewers and North Coast Brewing Company. See how brewers turn grain into your favorite craft brew, pick up expert tips, and sip beer while taking in the stunning Mendocino Bay view from the Kelley House Museum lawn. Grab your ticket and raise a glass to the art of homebrewing! Saturday, September 13, 12 PM – 4 PM.