Fallsvale Historic Schoolhouse

Mission and Purpose

Open in September 12, 1932, the Fallsvale schoolhouse served generations of local families and played a central role in education and community life for the surrounding mountain communities. For decades, it functioned as a place of learning, gathering, and shared history for families living in and around Forest Falls and neighboring mountain areas.

In 1979, changes to California’s seismic regulations, introduced in the years following the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, reshaped how existing school facilities were evaluated across the state. Although the Fallsvale Schoolhouse itself had not suffered damage, the updated requirements altered its standing within the public school system. Rather than pursue restoration or adaptation of the historic building under the new framework, the district discontinued use of the schoolhouse, placing the future of local education in the mountain communities in question.

What followed revealed where commitment truly lived. Unwilling to see their children bused down the mountain or local education quietly disappear; families came together and took extraordinary action. They put their own homes on the line to secure bonds, shouldering personal risk to ensure a new school could be built locally. Through persistence, shared sacrifice, and collective resolve, the community succeeded. Education remained rooted in the mountains, not because it was easy or convenient, but because the people who lived there refused to let it go.

Fallsvale Historic Schoolhouse 501c3 was formed as a nonprofit organization named for the historic schoolhouse building itself. The organization exists to preserve, interpret, and advocate for the restoration and appropriate future use of the historic structure. While the currently operating school is part of the Bear Valley School District, the historic schoolhouse property remains owned by the Redlands Unified School District. The nonprofit’s role is to ensure the history, significance, and potential of the historic schoolhouse are not lost.

Our Purpose Is Clear
To secure required approvals and advance the restoration and long-term preservation of the historic Fallsvale Schoolhouse, returning it to use as a publicly accessible site for education, community engagement, and history.

Our Mission Is Strong
Creating a space that supports learning and honors history.