Cypress Street Schoolhouse
The Cypress Street Schoolhouse “for Mexican children” was built in Orange in 1931 on a one-acre lot with materials salvaged from the demolished Lemon Street School. The one story structure, designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, had five classrooms for kindergarten to fifth grade, a principal’s office, a nurse’s office, a custodial closet, restrooms and a shower. It was one of the last public schools in Southern California that segregated students of Mexican descent. The school officially closed in 1944. The property was purchased by the Villa Park Orchards Association and used as administrative offices. When Chapman acquired the building in 2004, it was in disrepair. After extensive restoration, it now houses Chapman’s Early Human and Lifespan Development Research Facility. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Orange, Orange County
Photographers: John Bare, Mary Madden
SoCal Landmarks teamed up with members of the Photographic Society of Orange County (PSOC) to document this landmark.