Webster Schoolhouse, Old
Also known as: Markleeville Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Perched on a hilltop above Markleeville, California, this one-room wood-frame schoolhouse was built in 1882 and taught the town's children until 1928. It has a gable roof, a square bell tower, tongue-and-groove siding, a stone foundation and a foyer added in the 1890s that served as a cloakroom. Children aged 5 to 17 studied together, and the bell also summoned volunteer firefighters. Outside school hours the building hosted dances, dramas, box socials, recitations and political fundraisers, and in a town without a church it was the main social center. After closing as a school it housed a family for many years, then fell into disrepair. The county historical society led a restoration in 1966-68, overseen by the National Association of Restoration Specialists, and the building became the featured exhibit of the Alpine County Museum Complex. It is valued as a rare intact example of the one-room schools that once dominated rural American education.
Significance in brief: The schoolhouse is argued to be significant under Criterion A for education and social history. It is one of few surviving original wood-frame one-room schoolhouses, and it served Markleeville as a school from 1882 to 1928. It also served as the community's gathering place for dances, dramas, socials and other events.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05000071, listed July 11, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 135 School St., Markleeville |
|---|---|
| County | Alpine County |
| Listed | July 11, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000071 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1882-1928 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1966-68 and now used as a museum on the Alpine County Museum Complex grounds; it has been open to visitors as a period schoolroom display. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.69438, -119.78326 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05000071.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7085395
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.