Old Webster Schoolhouse, also known as Markleeville Schoolhouse, is a historic one-room schoolhouse located at 135 School St., Markleeville, in Alpine County, California. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Inferred from cryptic notes in NRHP.COM's Alpine County report. The building was initially used as a meeting room and schoolhouse before being renovated into a museum.
History The area the schoolhouse sits on was historically inhabited by the Washoe Tribe. The land may have been used as a campsite, as there are several rocks near the schoolhouse with holes in them which were used to grind corn and acorns."Old Markleeville Schoolhouse Doomed; District to Sell Site," Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, May 30, 21963, pg 14.
The schoolhouse served as the only school in Alpine County for many years. The exact date the schoolhouse was built is unknown, but it was likely in the late 1800s. By 1927 the schoolhouse was abandoned."Old Markleeville Schoolhouse Doomed; District to Sell Site," Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, May 30, 21963, pg 14.
In 1963, the schoolhouse faced risk of demolition as the Alpine County Unified School District wanted to develop the land to raise funds. In 1966, funding was raised by the Alpine County Historical Society to renovate the schoolhouse into a museum. The project cost about $3,500 at the time."Restoration of Old Schoolhouse Is Started" Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, May 16, 1966, pg 23.
The building is now part of the Alpine County Museum, a complex which includes the restored one-room schoolhouse, the museum, a log jail and a silver ore stamp mill. The museum is operated by the Alpine County Historical Society and is open seasonally.
References
External links Alpine County Museum Wayside Marker - photos