Mt. View Schoolhouse
After many years of planning and working through the intricate details, the society was successful in the fall of 2015 acquiring the historic Mt. View Schoolhouse and moving it to Pioneer Park.
The little Red School House was built in 1916 as a Teachers' Cottage for the West Mountain View School. The West Mountain View School was located on the northeast corner of Terrell (now Lake Terrell Road) and Douglas Road. The Mountain View District is west of Ferndale. In 1891 the Mountain View School District was divided into West Mountain View #55, East Mountain View #20 and North Star #75. The West Mountain View School was established March 21, 1891.
In 1916, the school grounds consisted of three acres and already had the main school of three class rooms, gymnasium, outhouse, stable and wood shed. The first Teacher who stayed in the cottage taught one term and married in the cottage at the end of the term. After the wedding the cottage building was used as the class room for the primary grades
In 1908, the enrollment numbered 111 students in grades one through ten, with three teachers. In 1945, the Whatcom County Library System was just starting and the little Red School House was the Library System's first Branch. This Branch of the Library operated until the end of 1989.
The Mountain View School District 55 consolidated with the Ferndale School District during the 2nd World War between 1942 and 1947 with the children being bussed to the Ferndale Schools. The last classes were held in June 1947. The school building and gymnasium were sold for the lumber. The little Red School House remained untouched and became the Mountain View Community Hall which continued to house the Mountain View Branch of the Whatcom County Library System. The building was also used for parties, game nights, community meetings and picnics, 4-H meetings and the meeting place for the Orthopedic Guild.
The building survived an arson fire in 1982 and was rebuilt by volunteer community members. The building also had a 4-H friends group who helped in the rebuilding, painting and landscaping.
The Mountain View School/Library has had a colorful past including the 4-H club whose members rode their horses, brought their cows, goats, rabbits and dogs to the Library on Library day for the exercise and getting the animals ready for the fair. Then there was the mama skunk that lived under the building and had her babies there for several years in a row. She happily scared people by sitting on the porch or smelling their tires, until the 4-H Club put up a sign saying "Guard Skunk on Duty". After that every visitor knew to watch for her. Other times foreign sailors (who didn't speak English) would see the Red Building with the porch light on and they would sit across the street to watch the people come and go as patrons would try to explain that the building was only a library with books.
After the closing of the Branch Library the Mountain View Community Club and Intalco Aluminum Corporation agreed that Intalco would move the building to its Totem Terrace Recreation area and care for it until it could be moved to a park. Intalco has been kind through the years about looking after the building and keeping it from harm. Everyone from the Mt View community is very grateful to Intalco.
