The history
Carus School dates back to 1885. The original school building was a log structure located across the highway from Evans Farms, a family owned and operated nursery since 1857. Later, another building was constructed and used until 1926, when a new, modern, two-room schoolhouse was built using locally milled timber, much of which came from Evans Farms. This third building of Carus is our beloved "White Building."
The new school included several amenities, such as a basement used as a cafeteria, a stage, and for the first time in the school's history, indoor plumbing. The two rooms organized the 40-50 students into grades 1st-4th and 5th-8th. But during special events, the partitioning wall could be lifted by a pulley system into the rafters, creating one large gathering space. This schoolhouse was the sole Carus School building until 1963, when the first rooms of the current building were constructed.
In 1977, after 50 years, all students were moved to the new building. The White Building then served as the administration office for Carus District #29, until Carus unified with three other local districts to become the Canby School District in the early 1990s. Over the years, the building also served as a community bookstore, a Halloween haunted house, and most recently was the centerpiece of Carus School's 125th anniversary celebration.
Now we hope to add another chapter in the life of the Carus Historic Schoolhouse -- as a community space on the Evans Farms property.
For the community of Carus, the school is what has tied us together for over 100 years. And for almost as long, this beautiful craftsman building has been our landmark. Every historic building you see today exists because a group of people who cared about it took action. This is our moment to do the same for the White Building, and in the process, create something new for us to share.
