Con Creek School
Why it's listed
Con Creek School is a one-story, one-room schoolhouse of redwood ship-lap siding on Highway 128 north of Boonville, in Mendocino County's Anderson Valley. Measuring 20 by 50 feet, it was built in 1877 by local pioneer J. D. Ball, who used the Greek Revival manner he had known before moving west in 1852. Details include a plain frieze band, contrasting end boards, six-over-six windows and a louvered cupola that still holds the school bell. The school opened in October 1877 after residents petitioned for a new district, and it served the community for 102 years. In 1965 highway construction led to the building being moved 20 feet south onto a new foundation and turned from an east-west to a north-south orientation. Porches and interior finishes were later added, and removal of the interior changes was under way. The building is valued as a rural example of a style that persisted in an isolated valley and as a long-time community symbol.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is a rural example of a vernacular Greek Revival schoolhouse, built later than the style's usual period because the local carpenter used the style he knew from the East. It also served for 102 years as the community's grammar school and a focal point of the town.
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 79000498, listed October 18, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2 mi. N of Boonville on CA 128, Boonville |
|---|---|
| County | Mendocino County |
| Listed | October 18, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000498 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1877) |
| Architect / builder | J. D. Ball |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good and altered. The building was moved in 1965 and interior alterations were being removed. The school served the community until spring 1979. |
| Acreage | 1.6 |
| Coordinates | 39.02973, -123.38641 (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 79000498.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q65059158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.