The community is invited to the Crow Valley School on Sunday, Sept. 22 for an open house and docent appreciation and birthday party at 2 p.m.

At 3 p.m., this month’s History Matinee kicks off featuring Irene O’Neill as the “School Marm” with Margot Shaw assisting as we learn “Readin’, Writin’ and ‘Rithmetic” the way it was back in the day.

Wear your early 20th century attire and gather with us as they celebrate Crow Valley School docents and the 125th birthday of the school. They will turn back the clock a century to experience education in a one-room school house.  Crow Valley School is filled with period atmosphere: the echoes of countless Orcas school children’s laughter and even their groans concerning homework during the 30 years of classes.  The school is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was restored by previous owners Richard Schneider and Bud McBride who spent hundreds of hours researching and carefully rehabilitating the wooden structure.

Crow Valley School is one of the finest examples of an intact one room school house in our state and in 1989 was recognized for its renovation during the Washington Centennial Celebration by the Governor’s wife Jean Gardner and Secretary of State Ralph Munro, both co-chairs of the Centennial Committee.  Richard Schneider and Bud McBride received the State Historic Preservation Officer’s 1997 Annual Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Stewardship for the Crow Valley School.”

For more information, go to www.orcasmuseum.org or call the museum at 376-4849.