Shaw School: A Community Treasure

A new exhibit, “Shaw School: A Community Treasure,” has recently opened at the Shaw Historical Museum adjacent to the Shaw Library on Blind Bay Road.

The exhibit, curated by Marlyn Hoffman and Mary Lou Clark, features artifacts from over a century of events held at the historic Shaw School.

Constructed in 1887, the building is the oldest continuously operating school in the state of Washington.

Until a community center was dedicated on Shaw in 1986, the Shaw School was the site not only for a one-room elementary school, but also for polling, debates, community meetings, concerts, plays, dances, and religious services.

Highlights of the exhibit include an original wood and wrought-iron student desk, a miniature planetarium, a student-hooked rug, the centennial quilt, historic photos, and newspaper articles from around the state featuring the Shaw School.

The museum is open during hours of library operation: Tuesdays 2-4pm, Thursdays 11am-1pm, and Saturdays 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. If the museum is locked during these hours, the librarian on duty can unlock the door.