Fallsvale Historic Schoolhouse
Mission and Purpose
Fallsvale Historic Schoolhouse
2 min read
Our Story, Purpose, Mission and Vision
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.
PURPOSE
To secure the approvals, partnerships, and resources necessary to restore, preserve, and return the historic Fallsvale Schoolhouse to public use as a place for education, community engagement, and the interpretation of canyon history.
MISSION
To preserve, interpret, and advocate for the restoration and appropriate future use of the historic Fallsvale Schoolhouse while sharing the documented history, community spirit, and enduring commitment to education it represents.
VISION
By the centennial of the Fallsvale Schoolhouse in 2032, the historic building will be restored, protected, and publicly accessible as a place where people can discover the history of the canyon communities, understand the sacrifices made to keep education alive in the mountains, and find inspiration in the enduring spirit of the generations who came together to build both the original schoolhouse and the schools that serve canyon families today.
The Fallsvale Schoolhouse will stand not only as a historic structure, but as a living record of community commitment, shared purpose, and the belief that education matters.
© 2025. All rights reserved.
Fallsvale Historic Schoolhouse Inc
PO Box 635
Forest Falls, CA 92339