Santa Manuela Schoolhouse, Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County

Santa Manuela Schoolhouse

Walk across the Swinging Bridge from Centennial Park in the heart of Arroyo Grande to Heritage Square Park and the first building you encounter is the Santa Manuela Schoolhouse. Today this one-room schoolhouse is a hands-on museum restored to its original condition and managed by the South County Historical Society. Constructed in 1901 on the property of Joseph Jatta, it operated as a school until 1957. It was moved to a different location due to the construction of the dam that created Lopez Lake Reservoir and moved again in 1999 to its present location on Short Street. The School House is supplied with student’s chairs, historical books, maps, chalkboards, and photographs. One source describes it as “a lovingly preserved and charming evocation of the kind of education that mattered most to 19th century farmers.”

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Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County
Photographer: Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo County