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Savoring a school house
By Geneva Miller, Bandon Correspondent
Thursday, November 05, 2009 | 1 comment(s)
RANDOLPH — A good site, money and a passion for history — that’s what Charlie Ruddell had.
After four years, a lot of research and creative problem solving, he now has a renovated historic schoolhouse, too, at Randolph about 6 miles north of Bandon.
The Ruddell family owns Randolph Growers. Some of their cranberry beds are visible along Randolph Road. Charlie Ruddell’s parents, Mary Lou and Gene Ruddell, purchased the former school property in the 1970s.
The town is long gone, but thanks to the Ruddells, some of its tangible history remains.
Randolph sprang up between 1853 and 1854, on the north side of the Coquille River, around the mining community at Whiskey Run beach.
According to Bandon pioneer descendant Leola Long Hultin, loggers and ranchers joined the town’s population, which moved several times. They followed the postmaster’s office until it settled inland, about 4 miles upriver. The Coos County Fairgrounds Museum has an 1890 photo of a one-story Randolph School building, but the earliest known picture of this actual building is a 1918 shot in Hultin’s photo collection.
The two-story schoolhouse provided classes for students in first through eighth grade until after World War II, when improved roads and shrinking enrollment made it more practical to send students to Bandon.
By the time the Ruddells bought the land, the teacher’s cottage, gymnasium and schoolhouse had all been converted to private dwellings, but in September 2005, Ruddell was ready to begin the schoolhouse remodel.
“It wasn’t in the optimum location for its lot,” said Ruddell.
So he moved it.
Builder Scott Ridle, who had a personal connection to the school, and a team of contractors raised the building on jacks.
“My dad actually went to school in that school when he was a kid,” he said.
They demolished the first floor, then lowered the remaining second level onto logs, which allowed them to tow the structure several yards south. Next, the crew spun the building 180 degrees before centering it over prepared foundation blocks. The remodeled schoolhouse includes an entirely new foundation and ground floor, built to replicate the original structure.
“It was pretty extensive, to take an old building like that and bring it up to code, make it earthquake proof,” said Ridle.
The original workmanship on the building was sound.
“A common comment is that shipwrights from Prosper provided the workforce,” Ruddell said.
According to Ruddell, the first floor of the schoolhouse was used for storage and housed the wood burning furnace which provided heat, via ducts, to the upstairs classrooms. The new floor plan includes bedroom suites downstairs, kitchen, dining and living space upstairs. Ruddell salvaged as much of the original second level classroom space as he could, including floors and paneling. The remaining trim work is custom made to replicate the original.
“It’s a struggle to work on something like this,” said Ruddell, gazing at the finished structure. “You have to be persistent. Otherwise, you lose sight of your goal.”
After four years, a lot of research and creative problem solving, he now has a renovated historic schoolhouse, too, at Randolph about 6 miles north of Bandon.
The Ruddell family owns Randolph Growers. Some of their cranberry beds are visible along Randolph Road. Charlie Ruddell’s parents, Mary Lou and Gene Ruddell, purchased the former school property in the 1970s.
The town is long gone, but thanks to the Ruddells, some of its tangible history remains.
Randolph sprang up between 1853 and 1854, on the north side of the Coquille River, around the mining community at Whiskey Run beach.
According to Bandon pioneer descendant Leola Long Hultin, loggers and ranchers joined the town’s population, which moved several times. They followed the postmaster’s office until it settled inland, about 4 miles upriver. The Coos County Fairgrounds Museum has an 1890 photo of a one-story Randolph School building, but the earliest known picture of this actual building is a 1918 shot in Hultin’s photo collection.
The two-story schoolhouse provided classes for students in first through eighth grade until after World War II, when improved roads and shrinking enrollment made it more practical to send students to Bandon.
By the time the Ruddells bought the land, the teacher’s cottage, gymnasium and schoolhouse had all been converted to private dwellings, but in September 2005, Ruddell was ready to begin the schoolhouse remodel.
“It wasn’t in the optimum location for its lot,” said Ruddell.
So he moved it.
Builder Scott Ridle, who had a personal connection to the school, and a team of contractors raised the building on jacks.
“My dad actually went to school in that school when he was a kid,” he said.
They demolished the first floor, then lowered the remaining second level onto logs, which allowed them to tow the structure several yards south. Next, the crew spun the building 180 degrees before centering it over prepared foundation blocks. The remodeled schoolhouse includes an entirely new foundation and ground floor, built to replicate the original structure.
“It was pretty extensive, to take an old building like that and bring it up to code, make it earthquake proof,” said Ridle.
The original workmanship on the building was sound.
“A common comment is that shipwrights from Prosper provided the workforce,” Ruddell said.
According to Ruddell, the first floor of the schoolhouse was used for storage and housed the wood burning furnace which provided heat, via ducts, to the upstairs classrooms. The new floor plan includes bedroom suites downstairs, kitchen, dining and living space upstairs. Ruddell salvaged as much of the original second level classroom space as he could, including floors and paneling. The remaining trim work is custom made to replicate the original.
“It’s a struggle to work on something like this,” said Ruddell, gazing at the finished structure. “You have to be persistent. Otherwise, you lose sight of your goal.”
Schoolhouse was a place for community
Only half a dozen of the 91 school houses that operated in Coos County from 1850 to 1940 are still in use.
That's according to author William Lansing in his book "Remember When."
While the schools have gone out of use, they haven't disappeared from memory.
Bandon resident Leola Long Hultin met her first husband at a Randolph schoolhouse dance.
"He played the piano and violin and a bunch of other things," said Hultin.
After she married, Hultin says she joined the Randolph Club in 1936, which met at the school. The group eventually purchased the facility from the school district in 1950, owning the property for less than a decade before upkeep expenses motivated its sell. Hultin was sad to see it sell.
"It belonged to the community, really," said Hultin.
The club's still around, and Donna Young, who has been a member since the 1980s, helped compile the group’'s 75th anniversary memoir. Copies of "75 Years of the Randolph Club 1926-2001" are available at the Bandon Historical Museum. Young who lives near the school said the renovation is beautiful.
In recognition of its historic and nostalgic value, owner Charlie Ruddell says his goal was to protect the school's ambiance and place in the world.
"The school in those days was the center of all social activities," Young said. "It was a place for social gathering."
Anyone with historic photographs of the Randolph community or school is encouraged to contact the museum at 347-2164 or Ruddell at 347-4756.
” Correspondent Geneva Miller
Only half a dozen of the 91 school houses that operated in Coos County from 1850 to 1940 are still in use.
That's according to author William Lansing in his book "Remember When."
While the schools have gone out of use, they haven't disappeared from memory.
Bandon resident Leola Long Hultin met her first husband at a Randolph schoolhouse dance.
"He played the piano and violin and a bunch of other things," said Hultin.
After she married, Hultin says she joined the Randolph Club in 1936, which met at the school. The group eventually purchased the facility from the school district in 1950, owning the property for less than a decade before upkeep expenses motivated its sell. Hultin was sad to see it sell.
"It belonged to the community, really," said Hultin.
The club's still around, and Donna Young, who has been a member since the 1980s, helped compile the group’'s 75th anniversary memoir. Copies of "75 Years of the Randolph Club 1926-2001" are available at the Bandon Historical Museum. Young who lives near the school said the renovation is beautiful.
In recognition of its historic and nostalgic value, owner Charlie Ruddell says his goal was to protect the school's ambiance and place in the world.
"The school in those days was the center of all social activities," Young said. "It was a place for social gathering."
Anyone with historic photographs of the Randolph community or school is encouraged to contact the museum at 347-2164 or Ruddell at 347-4756.
” Correspondent Geneva Miller
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