Old School House - Columbia

Charles Frederick Surendorf

The first two-story schoolhouse in the state of California, the Columbia Schoolhouse was considered a sign of prosperous times when it was established in 1850. Columbia was a Gold Rush-era town, first known as "Hildreth's Diggins" after one of Tuolumne County's first successful gold miners. It began with 368 students, two teachers, and a principle, and soon grew to accommodate around 1,000 students. In 1937 it was closed due to the structure's lack of earthquake safety, and while the belltower, external staircase, and chimney have been removed, the main building still stands as part of the California State Parks system.

Surendorf captures the classic Gold Country-style structure when it still had all of its original features, as well as a plethora of native trees and scrubs in its immediate surroundings.