Open Friday, May 22nd from 12pm-4pm. Located at 1701 Crow Valley Rd. next to the North Trailhead for Turtleback Mountain Preserve. Limited parking available.
Welcome to another season at the Crow Valley School Museum! Our knowledgeable docents will be onsite for this fun and informative look at an island education. Located next to the North Trailhead of Turtleback Mountain Preserve; come out for a day of picnicking and learn something new.
The Crow Valley School was built in 1888 and served as an educational and community hub for islanders until it officially closed in 1918. Crow Valley School taught grades one through eight with lessons focused on the practical applications of basic math and English. Students often walked miles to reach school and were expected to contribute to group chores such as chopping firewood and collecting water from the stream.
Thanks to the work of Richard Schneider and Bud McBride, much of the schoolhouse has been restored and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Under stewardship of Orcas Island Historical Museums since 2011.
Glenn is part of a 7th generation homestead family on Orcas Island. He lives full time in Deer Harbor and is grateful for this great community.
Glenn works and owns a media production company and spends his free time volunteering on Orcas. In addition to the Orcas Museum board, Glenn is also Vice President and Historian of the Deer Harbor Community Club. He is also a SJC Cemetery Commissioner serving Orcas. All of these provide a fulfilling opportunity for serving our community.
Michelle (she/her) grew up in Whatcom County and has lived on Orcas Island since 2020. In the spring of 2022, she joined the Museums as a weekly docent. Within a year, Michelle decided to bite the bullet and become a full-time staff member. She now works as the Program Administrator, and is currently working on revitalizing the Oral History Project and designing new exhibits.
An Orcas resident since 2017, Debbie has family ties to what feels like half of Olga and beyond. She teases she knows more of her husband’s family history than he does. Debbie is our museum admin, but also bookkeeper for many island businesses, and treasurer to several non-profits beyond the park.
Nancy has lived on Orcas since 2020 coming here as an empty nester with her avid sailor husband. Nancy is New Mexico born, raised in Singapore and then has had many other stints up and down the West Coast. She has over 30 years in the non-profit industry always working in the areas of arts, culture, literature and heritage. She has a BA degree in Economics from Scripps College and a MA in Urban Planning from UCLA with an emphasis on the history of the built environment.