The MPHS board is assembling an awesome team to repair/restore the schoolhouse and we will be updating the progress here, as well as on our Facebook page. Please join us on our journey and watch for all our exciting updates.

A crew will be out to the schoolhouse next week to brace the building. Thankfully, it is still standing after the strong winds last night in the Canby area. Once it is safe to go back inside, more of the contents can be removed and put in storage. Some items were damaged beyond repair, but we are so happy that the vintage advertising banner seems to be ok and has been safely removed from the building.

You can donate to the Rebuild the Schoolhouse fund below. No amount is too small. Thank you for supporting The Mark Prairie Historical Society.

More ceiling has fallen between Friday morning and this morning. The chunk of tree that was wedged above the piano has fallen to the floor.

Please consider making a tax deductable donation to help us restore our beloved schoolhouse. Thank you for your generosity!

The tree company came today and removed the trees from the roof. Here are a few pictures and a short video of what we are now dealing with. The roofer will be out soon to put a tarp over the building and the insurance adjuster will be here on Friday to assess the damage. More updates to follow!

MPHS President Judi Aus, paid a visit to the schoolhouse today to take a look at the damage and possibly remove any items inside that could be in danger. Here are a few pictures she took as well as a short video showing some of the damage, inside and out.

The recent ice storm that hit Canby, Oregon has dealt a devastating blow to the Mark Prairie Schoolhouse and grounds. Several of the historic oak trees on the property were uprooted and unfortunately, a couple of the trees happened to fall on the roof of the schoolhouse causing extensive damage to the structure. It has not been safe to go in and assess all of the damage at this point, but as soon as it is, we will update you on what we are dealing with. Our insurance agent has been contacted (YES, we do have insurance!) and our tree service company has been notified.

Please be assured the board of MPHS is working tirelessly on this situation and will keep you all informed as to what the next steps will be. If you would like to make a donation to help, you can mail a check to Mark Prairie Historical Society, 7528 S. Mark Rd., Canby, Oregon 97013. If you would prefer to donate online, just go to our Donate Page and follow the instructions. As always, thank you for your continued support.

Sometimes, pictures just speak louder than words. Photos courtesy of Blaine Sessions.

On February 1st, 2021, we received a message from a concerned member who read in the paper that MPHS had declined grant funds. Below is the message and MPHS’s response to the concern.

Message: “Hi, I’m a member and saw MPHS mentioned in the Canby paper. It was in regards to the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition awards. It stated that MPHS “Let’s Warm Up Mark Prairie Schoolhouse!” had been awarded $2500, which was then declined. I was interested in the background behind this decision to decline/return the funds. Thank you.”

MPHS’s Response: Regarding the January 27th article, “Canby, Molalla projects receive county grants”, we would like to reassure members and supporters of the Mark Prairie Historical Society that the organization’s declination of a recent grant award from the Clackamas County Cultural Coalition, albeit not explained in the posting, was actually for a good reason!

In efforts to repair the defunct heating system in the circa-1900 schoolhouse, we received five quotes that ranged from $5000 – $30,000, none of which were optimal solutions for the historic building. We had $2500 in donated funds to provide a match so opted to apply for the $2500 CCCC grant funds. In the time between our application and their awarding of the grants, a sixth local HVAC company repaired the existing furnace for $250 for parts and $1000 in donated labor. The company offered to keep it operational through the years at no additional cost. We are most appreciative for this generosity! The existing furnace is, in fact, the best, least intrusive, least expensive heating option so it was a win-win for Mark Prairie Historical Society. 

But with a less costly solution found, the Cultural Coalition would not permit us to redirect the grant funds to another much-needed project, such as trimming some dangerous trees or closing in under the building.  We will, however, be following up with an application for a smaller CCCC grant to put towards the tree trimming.

As a small organization working to preserve this 120-year-old schoolhouse, we survive and can only move forward with donated resources – time, money and expertise – so we gratefully appreciate you, our supporters, and all you give to Mark Prairie. Thanks so much for your interest and support!

Mark Prairie Historical Society