Once Segregated, Historic Schoolhouse Restored to Unify L.A. Community (Page & Turnbull)

Friends,

In the city of Azusa in Los Angeles’s San Gabriel Valley, a rare one-room schoolhouse has been carefully moved to an honored location, rehabilitated and restored, marking its new use as a community center, polling place and educational resource for all area residents. Culminating in its recent dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, the landmark also offers a poignant reminder of the region’s segregated past — and lessons learned. 

The relocating, restoring and curating of the 1,400-square-foot building as a historic landmark was initiated by city government and overseen by architecture firm Page & Turnbull. Azusa natives California State Senator Susan Rubio and Assemblymember Bianca Rubio championed the project and secured critical state grant funding of $3 million to cover its cost. In 2022, The Old Schoolhouse, as it’s known, was transferred for the second time to a prominent location on Historic Row in Veteran’s Freedom Park, adjacent to the Azusa Historical Museum. 

The three years since have seen the planning, design, and execution of a complete architectural rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the landmark building, according to project architect John D. Lesak, AIA, principal with Page & Turnbull. 

Illuminating History 

“We rehabilitated and restored nearly everything about the building, not in an effort to erase history but rather to deeply understand it, appreciate the social progress made, and realize there is still more to do,” says Lesak, who is also accredited LEED and as Fellow of the Association for Preservation Technology. “Our goal was to celebrate through preservation architecture how this symbol of a segregationist past was transformed into a valuable and inclusive community asset, thanks to the Mexican-American community who most keenly felt its impact.” 

Originally built to house Azusa’s first kindergarten classes, the architecturally significant building became used as a school for children of Mexican descent in 1929, when the associated elementary school was expanded. For nearly 20 years, the one-room, wood-frame Craftsman-style schoolhouse came to be known as a school serving only students of Mexican heritage, “for English and ‘Americanization‘ classes,” according to the City of Azusa. 

The Old Schoolhouse also served as a segregated polling site — the only one where Mexican-American citizens were allowed to vote. When California courts struck down forced segregation in 1947, the so-called “Mexican School” was closed and the building was moved for the first time, to a nearby middle school, where it served as a warehouse and maintenance depot for nearly 75 years. 

Comprehensively Preserved 

Completed in November 2025, the reconstruction was comprehensive, taking roughly nine months to complete and requiring replacement of missing or damaged wood siding, walls, ceilings, and floors. Page & Turnbull’s design incorporates a state-of-the-art mechanical system for heating and cooling, restores the structure’s unique bifold windows and original wainscoting — now painted the original cornflower-hued blue — and adds a new oak floor. 

Most important, according to Lesak, is the reinstatement of the Old Schoolhouse’s porch: enclosed as part of the 1947 relocation, the porch was restored to its original configuration and is now the face of the reestablished landmark, welcoming visitors, and presenting a symbol of strength through community. 

source https://zweiglist.com/once-segregated-historic-schoolhouse-restored-to-unify-l-a-community-page-turnbull/