About Alamos Schoolhouse
The Alamos Schoolhouse is a historic one-room Schoolhouse located at Lake Skinner County Park, just outside of Temecula’s Wine Country in Winchester, CA. The building served as a school for the community of French Valley from around 1900 to 1968.
After the school closed in 1968, it sat vacant until 1976, when the Hemet School District sold the building to Riverside County. In 1977 it was moved to it’s current location at Lake Skinner County Park. After it was moved it served as a store for the park, until the new store was built in 1986. The school building again sat unused and fell into disrepair. In 1996 funds were obtained for renovation. Under a joint project managed and financed by federal, state, and county effort, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the building was renovated and opened to the public as a Nature and Interpretive Center in 1998. It served in this capacity for several years, and after a multi-year closure it re-opened as the Alamos Schoolhouse Nature Center, delighting visitors and campers with an authentic taste of local history surrounding Lake Skinner. In 2016 funding was again obtained for Interpretive staffing, and the building is open once again as a Nature and Interpretive Center for the general public.
Location
37701 Warren Road, Winchester, CA, 92596
(951)926-7416
Schoolhouse Hours
General Hours
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ┃Saturday
School and Group Programs/Travel by Reservation ONLY
Schoolhouse Fees
Entry included with Lake Skinner Day-Use fees:
$6 per adult
$3 per child
General Site Rules
RULES APPLICABLE TO DISTRICT REGIONAL PARKS
The following rules apply to all regional parks in Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space
District. For rules specific to each park, please refer to the corresponding section for each park.
1. All local, state, and federal laws shall be enforced in all District Regional Parks. County of
Riverside Ordinance 328 shall be enforced in all District Regional Parks.
2. The posted speed limit shall be observed.
3. Vehicles must remain on park roads and/or designated parking spaces.
4. Child/youth is defined as age 12 and under, children under the age of 2 are granted free
entry into the parks.
5. All pet fees are per animal. Maximum three (3) dogs/horses total.
6. Service dogs are exempt from the pet fee and the maximum limit of three (3) dogs/horses.
7. Dogs must be controlled and on a leash at all times no longer than six (6) feet in length.
8. Never leave pets unattended. Pets must be kept inside RV or tent overnight.
9. Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up waste generated from their pet(s).
10. Hunting and use of firearms is prohibited in the park.
11. Never disturb or attempt to handle wildlife.
12. Fireworks are prohibited.
13. No off-road vehicles allowed. Street legal vehicles only.
14. Remote controlled flying objects, drones, bow and arrows/archery are not permitted unless
authorized in advance by Director or his/her Designee.
15. Do not remove or damage flowers, rocks, plants, animals, artifacts, and other park features.
16. No attaching, tying, nailing, or screwing of items to the trees. Tampering with these items is a
violation of County Ordinance 328.
17. Amplified music is not permitted unless authorized in advance by the District. Small radios are
permitted except during hours 10pm – 6am so long as the noise does not disturb the peace and
quiet of the campground or neighboring sites.
18. Know before you go! Guests are encouraged to check the website or call the park in advance of
their visit to see if there are temporary rules in place (i.e. campfire restrictions, water
conservation and water use restrictions due to statewide drought, etc.)
19. Notify Park Ranger immediately of any emergency, damage, or other problems arise
Detailed History of Alamos Schoolhouse
The area of what is commonly known as French Valley was originally settled by Basque and French sheep herders. Italian-Swiss and English immigrants followed soon after. As the population grew, there became a need for a schoolhouse to educate the children. The first Alamos School was built in 1889, but the growing population dictated the need for a larger building. The second Alamos School was built around 1900 at the corner of Benton and Pourroy Roads, on property donated by a local resident. Grades 1-8 were taught at the school, with students attending high school in the nearby community of Hemet. The school was closed by local officials in 1968 due to declining enrollment. After the school closed all grades attended school in Hemet.
The main economy in French Valley during the first half of the 20th century was dairy, pork, chicken, and turkey ranching, along with farming of barely, wheat, and oats. The local children either walked or rode bicycles or horses to school. Due to the rural nature of the area, children would sometimes walk up to 4 miles one way to attend school. Students sat in wooden desks with built-in inkwells, with the first graders sitting in the front row, and older students in succeeding rows. Over the years enrollment of school children went from a high of 15, to a low of 7. Play Day was a highly anticipated event every spring, as students from other rural schools would gather for a yearly sporting event of relay races and other competitions.
Various teachers taught at Alamos School over the years, but none so long or as fondly remembered as Dora Field. She taught at Alamos School for 38 years. She never married, and lived across the street from the school. She taught her students reading, writing, and math, but also taught manners and read stories to the children during rainy day lunch breaks. She also would not hesitate to play with the children at recess, or give them extra help with schoolwork. She would travel to Riverside on weekends to obtain materials for school projects.
