Canon School
Why it's listed
Canon School is a small wooden schoolhouse near Brooks in California's Capay Valley, measuring 40 by 20 feet. It was built in 1884 after fire destroyed the second school on the site, and the name changed from Central View to Canon at that time. It followed earlier schools built in 1861 and 1868. The frame building has wood siding, a shingled pitched roof, two south-facing entrances, a covered porch and an interior stage at the north end. A wooden belfry added in 1902 once held the bell that opened each school day. One teacher taught about 35 pupils aged 6 to 16 through eight grades, with older children helping younger ones. The teacher earned $65 in 1901. The school was also a gathering point for the community, and local residents carried out its construction and improvements. Today the building is unoccupied, with boarded windows, a damaged porch and an empty interior, though its structure remains in good condition.
Significance in brief: The school is the third in a succession of schools in the Capay Valley and served the surrounding rural community. It was a focus of community pride, and its building and improvements came from the collective efforts of local residents. The nomination presents it as a monument to the era of one-room schoolhouses serving rural populations.
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 72000264, listed June 13, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 0.5 mi. N of Brooks, Brooks |
|---|---|
| County | Yolo County |
| Listed | June 13, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72000264 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1884 |
| Areas of significance | Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition and altered. The structure is sound, but the porch and roof are in disrepair, the windows are boarded up and the interior is empty and littered with debris. |
| Coordinates | 38.74898, -122.10557 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 72000264.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133571639
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.