Crow Valley School Museum Opens for the Season

Welcome to another season at the Crow Valley School Museum! Our knowledgeable docents will be onsite for this fun and informative look at an island education. Located next to the North Trailhead of Turtleback Mountain Preserve; come out for a day of picnicking and learn something new. The Crow Valley School was built in 1888 and served as an educational and community hub for islanders until it officially closed in 1918. Crow Valley School taught grades one through eight with lessons focused on the practical applications of basic math and English. Students often walked miles to reach school and were expected to contribute to group chores such as chopping firewood and collecting water from the stream. Thanks to the work of Richard Schneider and Bud McBride, much of the schoolhouse has been restored and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Under stewardship of Orcas Island Historical Museums since 2011.