Two Valley schools earn historical distinction

When Jacques Etchegoyhen was a boy, he lived on Mono Avenue and attended the elementary school right across the street.

"It was an absolute blast," the former Douglas County Commissioner said of his school days. "I lived directly across the street from the school then, it was tough walk of a couple hundred feet."

Etchegoyhen attended first and second grades at the elementary school, which became the Douglas County School District Offices in 1980. For third-grade, he had to get on the bus for a ride to Gardnerville Elementary, which is where his wife, Cris is principal.

On Tuesday, in what could be interpreted as a nod to the old rivalry between Minden and Gardnerville, both schools were listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to an announcement by Nevada Historic Preservation Officer Ron James.

A 1976 Douglas High School graduate, Etchegoyhen described the old Minden school, which was built in 1918, as crowded.

"I went to first grade in the basement and second grade on the main floor," he said. "The lunchroom was in the basement and there was barely enough room for all of us."

The two elementary schools served all of Douglas County outside of Lake Tahoe when Etchegoyhen was going to school.

"If you lived outside of Lake Tahoe, you were bussed to Minden for first and second grade and to Gardnerville for third through sixth."

Third and fourth-graders are still being served in the old Gardnerville Elementary School, Principal Cris Etchegoyhen said.

"It is in really good shape," she said of school, which was built in 1928. "It's an older building and they did a lot of checks before I was there and as far as radon goes it was the safest building because it's built up off the ground."

Terri McBride of the State Historic Preservation Office said paperwork for nominating the schools was done by graduate students, who filled out the survey forms and researched the history.

She said it didn't hurt that former Gardnerville dentist and Valley historian Mike Fischer is the director of Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.

"He was able to get in touch with Douglas County schools," McBride said. "As the property owners they needed to authorize us to go ahead and nominate the schools."

McBride said the two Carson Valley elementaries were the first listed under a larger project by the National Park Service called School Buildings in Nevada.

"Since we had the paperwork started, we decided to use them as a test run for nominating other things," she said. "Now it will be much easier, streamlined process for nomiating other schools around the state."

McBride said the preservation office's board nominated the Cottage Schools in Fallon on Wednesday morning under the same program.

Work to get the two Valley schools listed was made simpler by the fact very few modifications have been done.

Because it was required by federal law, McBride said the handicapped ramps installed on the schools were overlooked by the park service.

"They can look beyond certain modifications," she said.

The listing actullay took place on Feb. 19. McBride said that once a nomination is approved, the park service has 45 days to review it.

"About two months after our state advisory board approves forwarding the nomination, we'll hear back," she said.

Minden Elementary School was built two years after the town became the Douglas County seat.

According to the state, it was designed by Reno architect W.O. Lewis and built for $15,000. Classes were held until 1980, when it became the school district offices.

Gardnerville Elementary School was built in 1928 for $28,000 and was the first primary-only school built in Carson Valley. Its design is similr to that of the old Douglas High School.

Principal C.C. Meneley, after whom another elementary school was named, reportedly designed the school.