The following verbiage is taken from the City of Eagle Point website to describe this building's history:
Original EP Museum structure has history all its own
Long Mountain School District was formed out of the west portion of the Eagle Point District on Dec. 17, 1865 and bore the name of Rogue River District. While it had a legal description, the one folks understood said, "the point of beginning lay a few rods south of the Antelope Road that leaves Crater Lake Highway in White City. In running north, it will cross the highway between the homes of Steve Wilson and Spike Mallory. It proceeds north along the east side of Tim Dugan’s place, up over the mountain, to a point about a quarter of a mile south of Dodge Bridge. In that area, the line will run about half way between the Rogue River and the Crater Lake Highway."
The first school house anyone knows about lay on the swale between Long Mountain and Englehardt’s Butte, but this was later transferred to a
point where the Long Mountain Road, rising from Little Butte Creek,
reaches the flat above and angles to the east. It was a nice little
building for its time and served the district well until the
consolidation movement in 1945. Although no school had been held there
after 1936, it was well kept and was moved over to Eagle Point to serve as a classroom when the consolidated district was getting under way and badly needed housing. It was later skidded down near the teacher’s cottages where it served as a dressing room for the athletic field for a while and then as a general storehouse.
Long Mountain became part of the Eagle Point School District at the same time Glenn D. Hale became superintendent, which was in 1944.
About 1945-46 it was necessary to expand the high school. A bond of $19,000 and a proposal to raise another $10,000 was endorsed without a
dissenting vote. Work began. And even in that day and age construction
cost more than they had budgeted for, so they decided to move the Long
Mountain building over and put it to use. It served for years for a
variety of purposes and later was moved down near the garage to service for general storage and a field house for athletics.
The building, which serves as the anchor and entrance to the Eagle Point Museum could tell many a tale if only those old boards could do more than squeak.
Eagle Point Museum to celebrate 30th year with a two-day event
"New Life for an Old building" was the title of a two-page spread in the Eagle Point Independent Feb. 2, 1977 marking the move of the Long Mountain School (circa 1925 and known as District 37) to its final resting place as the Eagle Point Museum.
The Eagle Point Historical Society officially began Feb. 17, 1978 in the one-room Long Mountain School House. To mark its 30th year in Eagle Point and to coincide with the Heritage Day campaign, the museum will have a festive two days on Feb. 23-24. Hours will be 10-4 on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
Events will include live music, storytelling that will interest both young and old.
New Horizons of the Rogue, and their 30 members, will provide music
under the direction of Ivan Hollinghous at 2 p.m. Saturday. They will
be followed by dixieland music with Dixie Six.
Ken Thompson, part-time museum employee, will offer general interest
storytelling at 11 and 1 p.m. on Saturday and at 12:30 and 1:30 on
Sunday.
Everett Jennings has been invited to sign his Eagle Point, Oregon booklet featured in the Upper Rogue Independent several weeks ago. There will be celebration cake cut at 2 p.m. both days.
In order to understand the present celebration, one needs to start at the beginning—
Feb. 2- 1977, from Eagle Point Independent- The museum started as the Long Mountain School and many years later was moved to School District 9 and used as a storage building. The idea to save the building and to have a museum in Eagle Point was kicked off by the 1976 Bicentennial Committee and the Eagle Point Business Association.
Once the schoolhouse/storage building left District 9 hands, it passed into the hands of a historical committee, headed by former Eagle Point Mayor Ted Hoffman. Renovation began. Charter donors giving $25 or more were promised their name on a donor’s plaque to be displayed inside the museum.
July 8, from Eagle Point Independent- Ted Hoffman reported good progress on renovation. Forsythe Glass repaired all the windows free of charge. The Jackson family, of Jackson Electric, donated some wiring and installed a flagpole. An American flag was donated by Jess McFaddens.
Hoffman gave special thanks to District 9 students who worked on the building.
Gaynell Krambeal volunteered to act as a temporary curator.
By Sept. 1977, Hoffman sent out a plea for a plumber to donate his
services. He also reported that his sons, Dusty and Barry Hoffman, had
placed the bell in the old school’s belfry.
Pioneer memberships for $5 were offered to those whose families had been in the area as of 1877.
The Oregonian featured a full page story on the open house for the museum. They described it by saying "it was a real old-time, small-town family affair" and featured children playing in hay scattered around in front of the building searching for coins tossed out by a parent. There were around the block on a fire truck, artisans made pots of clay. The Old Time Fiddlers supplied the music.
A profit of $300 was realized and put against the $1,500 deficit accumulated as a result of the renovation.
The Oregonian reported the structure was on land donated by the Ed Dahack family, the building, of course, was donated by School District 9, cement and labor for the foundation was donated by Peter Crandall, who owned Butte Creek Mill.
Since its beginning as a one-room schoolhouse turned museum, there have been two additions, each 1200 sq. ft. in size. The first was made in 1993 and the last one in 1998.
The Walter Wood House was given to the Eagle Point Historical Society and went through some safety preservation. In years past it was a popular place for artists to paint. More recently it offers as a backdrop for art shows as well as a variety of antique car and farm equipment events.
Financial issues face the historical societies and in Jackson County. The financial support from the county to assist these groups has ceased and as a result a Heritage District is being proposed. All cities, except Shady Cove, agreed to allow their citizens the opportunity to sign a petition if they wanted to see the Heritage District on the November ballot. Should sufficient signatures be obtained and should it pass in November, there would be a seven cent
per $1,000 assessed valuation.
In Eagle Point, negotiations are nearing an end that would put the museum under the control of the city and the Wood House would be on its own; finishing the process is expected in the near future.