The Criterion Schoolhouse, the first school in Wasco County to be declared “standard” and was used as a school from 1912-1925, has been placed on the National Schoolhouse Register.
The Criterion Schoolhouse, the first school in Wasco County to be declared “standard” and was used as a school from 1912-1925, has been placed on the National Schoolhouse Register.
The Criterion Schoolhouse, located on the Oregon State Fairgrounds, was placed on the National Schoolhouse Register on Dec. 2. The Oregon Retired Educators Association submitted the nomination through its Save the Criterion School Committee. The National Schoolhouse Register is the Country School Association of America’s (CSAA) list of former or current school buildings it considers worthy of recognition, on a national level, for their preservation. The Criterion Schoolhouse is the first Oregon school building to receive this designation.
The Criterion Schoolhouse was the first school in Wasco County to be declared “standard” and was used as a school from 1912-1925. From November 1975 through the spring of 1976, the Oregon Department of Education searched statewide for abandoned one-room schoolhouses. Criterion was chosen out of 50 candidates to be moved 200 miles to the Oregon State Fairground for the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration. This historical treasure has stood as a tribute to Oregon’s public education system over the years and is visited annually by thousands of fairgoers, said a press release.
Through its National Schoolhouse Registry Program, the Country School Association of America recognizes school buildings that contribute in some positive way to the appreciation and under-standing of the country school experience and their unique architectural and historical heritage. Placements on the CSAA registry are awarded to school buildings that are at least 50 years old, that have been restored, renovated or reconstructed to retain the integrity of their original design, and are well maintained. It is the hope of the CSAA that this registry will not only serve to identify school buildings of historical and/or architectural significance, but will also recognize preservation achievements and encourage the continuing care.
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