This is the second school that was built here in Rhyolite. The first one was a wonderful little wooden
building, but it blew off it's foundation during one of our infamous winds. Well, it was getting too small anyway. There were so many
children of school age by 1907 that they opened another small school at the County Hospital until they could figure out what
the town was going to do!
This one was completed in January of 1909, the last major building to be built in Rhyolite. The land that the new schoolhouse was built on was donated by John Lukov, proprietor of the Lukov Mercantile
in Rhyolite. Designed by John Robertson of Goldfield, and built by Khlman and Ellis of Rhyolite. According to the Rhyolite Herald December 8, 1908 issue "The lower floor is divided into three large classrooms and a large hallway.
The upper floor has a classroom of the same size, and the rear part of the upper floor comprises one large hall, which will be used as an auditorium, and which may be partitioned into two rooms if necessary.
Its construction is through in every respect. The partitions are deadened, as well as the ceiling of the lower floor. All doors sing outward, and the fire hose and connections are provided in the hallways.
The stairways are spacious and easy......"
It was said to have been a fireproof building with the main walls built of concrete. It was arranged for convenience and safety. In case of a fire the building could be evacuated in 2 minutes. The roof was galvanized iron Spanish tile with
a copula and bell. The highest grade according to the Board of Education was the 9th grade. Upon which time the student graduated and was expected to
start a life of their own. (But you youngsters out there, don't think you can get away with 9th grade today! It takes 12 full years to prepare for a higher education
to get along in the world now. So stick to your guns and graduate.)
By the time they finished the new school, people were already starting to move out of town, there just wasn't enough children to fill the school.
Rhyolite was a spunky little town though, and they used the upstairs for socials, meetings, just anything they needed a large
room for. You'll notice the roof is gone, as well as everything else! If you visit Beatty, and you go to the middle school, you'll
see the roof, windows and interior wood on their little schoolhouse in the corner. Everything is recycled in the desert you see.
In 1968, RCA Rcords poured a cement floor in the schoolhouse and hung velvet drapes on the open windows. They used the building to give a large party to their
distributors for their outstanding record sales. For a long time afterward you could see the velvet curtain still hanging and blowing in the wind. In fact, here
is a story of someone who happened across the school the same day that the studio left.
THUMB NAILS OF THE RHYOLITE SCHOOL
(If you don't want to look at all the photos, just scroll to the bottom of the page.)
Click on the thumbnail and it will open a new window.
1906
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1907
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1907
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1909
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1915
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1916
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1919
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1922
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1923
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1968
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1968
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1968
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2005
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2008
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