Saving a county treasure: Historic Catheys Valley Schoolhouse faces urgent restoration

By Dan Tucker

The one-room Catheys Valley Schoolhouse, a 19th-century landmark that has helped preserve the story of one of Mariposa County’s oldest communities, needs about $40,000 in repairs to protect its original windows and weather-worn exterior.

Rich Westfall, president of the Catheys Valley Historical Society, said the organization has about $10,000 set aside in a contingency fund, leaving it roughly $30,000 short of the estimated cost.

“The windows, all original, are wood frames with single-pane glass and we want to restore them to their original condition to complement the authenticity and honor the history of the schoolhouse,” Westfall said. “The interior is still in good shape, but it won’t be as soon as the rains start and the windows begin leaking. My family will also be contributing toward the restoration.”

The exterior of the historic 1879 Catheys Valley Schoolhouse is in desperate need of repair and painting. (Submitted Photo)

The society has already held a homecoming fundraising event and is planning a large flea market in the parking lot of Mariposa Homes and Land on Aug. 29. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 193, Catheys Valley, CA 95306. For more information on the flea market, including becoming a vendor or sale spaces, contact Westfall at (209) 347-0808 or (209) 966-6276.

The schoolhouse, built in 1879 after Andrew Cathey donated land for an elementary school, originally stood about a mile southwest of its current location. Historical marker accounts say James Cliff directed construction of the building, which later served not only as a school but also as a church, a community hall for dances and gatherings, and a meeting place for Home Guard aircraft spotters during World War II.

The former grammar school also received Works Progress Administration repairs in 1935 and 1936, including work to repair and paint the building and improve the court and playground. When expansion of the modern elementary school later threatened the historic structure with demolition, a community effort moved it to Catheys Valley Park, where it has been preserved as a link to the Catheys Valley’s early life.

The interior of the historic Catheys Valley Schoolhouses remains in good condition, but the won’t last without significant exterior restoration. (Submitted Photo)

The Catheys Valley Historical Society was formed in 1995 with the primary purpose of saving and preserving the schoolhouse. The society says the building was spared from demolition, restored and placed in the park, where it is used for education and cultural events. Each year, students visit the schoolhouse to experience what class might have been like in 1879.

Community members helped restore the schoolhouse more than 20 years ago, but time and weather have begun to take their toll.

Society leaders include Westfall; Vice President Judie Huffman; Treasurer Nancy Cordero; and Historian Caroline Korn, with special assistance from Debbie Lester, Stephanie Evans and Cathy Boze.

Donations can be made through the society’s website, https://www.catheysvalleyhistory.com, or mailed to P.O. Box 193, Catheys Valley, CA 95306.