1879 MARK PRAIRIE SCHOOL DAMAGED in ICE STORM

Ice-laden oak trees smashed the roof of the historic 1879 Mark Prairie Schoolhouse in February 2021 near Canby, Oregon. Volunteers have raised more than half of the needed $400,000 for repairs, in addition to limited insurance funds. Contractors for the small, all-volunteer Mark Prairie Historical Society have finally enclosed the wooden building with rebuilt walls and a new roof. Now onto Phase 2; the interior, we’re on track to finish the disaster recovery and restoration by August 2024. But we need more donations to make this a reality. Volunteers continue writing grant requests, hosting fundraising activities, and seeking donations of time, materials, and dollars. Please donate today and share this request with friends and family! Help us finish this restoration and reopen the schoolhouse for the community!

Despite initially stabilizing the collapsed roof and leaning walls, the original contractor made little progress, allowing Oregon winds and rain to cause further deterioration, increasing the repair costs. After sixteen months, the Historical Society brought together a new team of Emerick Construction, Froelich Engineers, and architect Jeff Erwin, who have made dramatic progress in repairing the wooden structure.

This Clackamas County Historic Landmark now sports hand-built trusses to fill the gaping hole, creating a roofline indistinguishable from the original, and composition shingles that mimic the original cedar shingles that once clad the roof were intalled by Interstate Roofing. Pacific Timber Products custom-milled siding and period moldings match the 1879 profiles of the original materials. The historic windows were repaired by Willow Creek Woodwork and the exterior painted by Advantage Painting. A new septic system was installed by Affordable Septic to replace the 50-year old steel tank. New kitchen windows were built by Stayton Wood Windows.

In 1879, when the school was built at the end of the Oregon Trail with square nails and lumber milled nearby, building codes didn’t exist. So along with today’s volatile construction costs and maintaining the building's historic character, meeting current structural, seismic, and ADA codes has made for big, expensive hurdles, pushing our budget even higher. We were initially quoted $200,000 for restoration; costs rose to $600,000, and have now soared past $800,000. Your generous support is appreciated!

Volunteers are still the backbone of the restoration project. Help is wanted for on-site projects, grant writing, administrative tasks, professional services, and historical research. A committee is creating a business plan to sustain the newly restored building into the future.

Once complete, Mark Prairie Schoolhouse and its pristine two-acre Oregon white oak grove will again serve the rural community as a meeting and gathering place, and will be available for youth and civic meetings, private events, weddings and reunions, art shows, craft fairs, historic tours, and more as it has been since 1946 when Mark Prairie School consolidated with Canby Schools.

Learn more about the Mark Prairie Schoolhouse and become a member at markprairiehistoricalsociety.org

Please donate today and share this link with friends and family. Thank you so much for your generous support!

With sincere appreciation from the Mark Prairie Volunteer Board of Directors and the Restoration Team – Judi, Denyse, Gwen, Blaine, Erin, Patty, Peggy, Jay, Jason, Deb, Carol, Judi and more