South County Historical Society Santa Manuela Schoolhouse, Arroyo Grande

About South County Historical Society Santa Manuela Schoolhouse

The Santa Manuela Schoolhouse is a hands-on museum where visitors explore a one-room school building restored to its 1901 original condition. Built by Ben Stewart to educate Upper Arroyo Grande Valley children, the schoolhouse operated until 1957 and was relocated multiple times before finding a permanent home in Heritage Square. The restored interior features period books, maps, slate blackboards, and historical photographs. Visitors can sit at the original desks, browse through vintage books, and try on a dunce hat. A working school bell, functional and audible throughout the area, remains part of the exhibits. The museum serves as a hands-on exploration space suitable for children of all ages and adults interested in local educational history. The South County Historical Society maintains this restored structure in Arroyo Grande, California as a window into early twentieth-century valley schooling.