February 27, 2020 – The Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is pleased to announce the designation of two new landmarks: John Woolman School and Kentucky Flat School.
John Woolman School
The private Quaker boarding school which opened in 1963 is located on Woolman Lane in Nevada City. The sprawling 230 acre property was purchased in 1961 and housed the first Quaker boarding school in the western United States. The school is named after John Woolman, a staunch proponent of the abolition of slavery who urged other Quakers to free their slaves and boycott slave-made goods.
The high school boarding program at John Woolman School ended in 2001, and a semester program operated at the location from 2004-2016. Today, the campus hosts a range of programs such as Camp Woolman, the Sierra Streams Institute, The Outdoor School, Jorgensen School for Nonviolence, and various teen and family camps as well as retreats and private rentals.
Woolman students have made many contributions to our local community. Woolman has produced entrepreneurs and songwriters, and continues to support local artists with their original Oborigama Climbing Kiln that is one of the largest wood-fire kilns in the U.S.
Kentucky Flat School
Located on Newtown Road in Nevada City, the Kentucky Flat School building was originally located at the Kentucky Ridge and Kentucky Flat Mining Camp on Bridgeport Road. As the building became too small to house the area’s children, it was moved to the current site in 1855 and deeded over to the Grass Valley school district in 1877. Used as a school until 1963, it boasts a bell tower and bell that were used to alert the local residents to fires, special events, and the opening of school days.
Since 1964 the building has housed and been maintained by the Kentucky Flat Community Center hosting many events and organizations valuable to the community including 4-H and Farm Bureau functions, Head Start, community meetings, and a daycare center.
To read more about this and other historical landmarks in Nevada County use the Commission’s interactive map which can be found on its website nevadacountylandmarks.com, or its ebook, Exploring Nevada County, available from ibooks or Amazon or in paperback from Comstock Bonanza Press.
The purpose of the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission is to promote the general welfare of Nevada County and its citizens through official recognition, recording, marking, preserving, and promoting the historical resources of Nevada County.