Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site

Visitors curious about rural Nevada history find a stop at the Elgin Schoolhouse State Historic Site worth the trip.

History of a desert education

Located in Nevada's southern desert region, the Elgin Schoolhouse offers an authentic glimpse into education in rural Nevada from 1922 to 1967, when its last student reached the eighth grade. The Elgin Schoolhouse educated several generations of children who lived in a number of rural ranches set in the scenic Rainbow Canyon. Prior to 1903, most of the youngsters living in the area were simply too far away from the nearest school, located in Panaca (about 36 miles away), to attend. So when the Elgin Schoolhouse was completed in 1922, the one-room school taught children from grades one through eight and included a tiny apartment on one side for the teacher to live in. With the increased availability of busing, use of the school was discontinued in 1967.

The schoolhouse today

The Elgin Schoolhouse was made a historic site in 2005, after the building was offered to the Nevada Division of State Parks by the owners, a family named Bradshaw. Half of the items in the schoolhouse are original to the building, while the rest of the displays feature schoolhouse items authentic to the period. Basic restroom facilities and a picnic table are available for visitor use, and leashed pets are allowed on the grounds outside of the schoolhouse.

Representing an important era in rural Nevada education, the Elgin Schoolhouse Historical Site provides a fascinating look into the past, preserved by private citizens for the edification of the future.