The Skiyou School House Rocks, Available For $385K

Finally, you can go back to school knowing what you know now, and do all those (legal) things that the teachers wouldn't let you do. The 1910 Skiyou schoolhouse has been converted into a house and is up for sale. Sure, now it's a 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath house with 3,300 square feet and an asking price of $385,000; but that's all probably from the 1988 renovation. The cloak room is still in place, and so is the bell tower and the original stove. And then, there are the ceilings, 20 foot high rooms that are a guard against claustrophobia.

Congratulate whatever architect, designer, decorator, or very capable homeowner who made the conversion. The look and feel of many of the rooms are homey, yet they kept enough elements of the original that the story is apparent. The rooms are large, and there are plenty of windows. The ceilings are tiled and hopefully period. The walls have wainscoting, and the floors are exposed wood, of course. Check out the wood. Building in 1910 may have meant using old growth timbers from trees that grew slower, got taller, and were much more common then. Upstairs looks more contemporary with carpets, closets, and the bathrooms - not just Boys and Girls. There's even room for a desk, one of the few left in a building that undoubtedly had dozens at one time.

Outside is an acre of flat land with fruit trees, a pond, and a greenhouse. Land so close to the Skagit River and Skyiou Slough may be fertile, which explains the greenhouse; and possibly wet, which could explain the pond. Of course, it probably hasn't been too wet, because the building has been there for over one hundred years. The land is nicely planted, more with ornamentals than edibles, but you'll have lots of options. There are other outbuildings, too, including a shop. That could be a real treat if it is original. Wander around and wonder if they ever had a playground, or if recess was just spent playing out on the grounds.
· Looney Listing [LL]
· 26456 Hoehn Rd, Sedro Woolley [Redfin]
Written by Tom Trimbath