Restoring historic buildings can be a long and arduous process, especially when the majority of labor is donated by volunteers. And building renovation materials rely on the generosity of supporters, grants and fundraisers.
In 2020, with the help of many generous people, the Valley Historical Society moved the historic 1915 Valley Little White Schoolhouse from the Valley school grounds to its current location on the edge of the Valley Fairgrounds. Not an easy task.
Since then, countless volunteer hours and building materials have been donated to replace the roof, insulate the building, replace the windows, restore the interior with sheetrock, subflooring and vinyl flooring, do electrical work, prepare lighting, install HVAC and much more.
Members of the Valley Historical Society were instrumental in restoring the schoolhouse with the goal of establishing a Valley historical museum. Three of these dedicated members gave their best: fundraiser and grantee Melissa Silvio, and Jesse Klemish and George Craig as key project planners and workers.
Another important contributor to the progress of the restoration are those individuals, companies and organizations that have donated or provided financial resources to complete the restoration. Below are those who donated or funded in 2025.
Strandell Electric – Electrical Labor; Lowe's – lumber, sheetrock, insulation, interior hardware, electrical, doors and more; Boise Cascade – high quality plywood for subfloors; Ziggy's – $500 for home furnishings; Stevens County Commissioner Historic Preservation Fund – $5,000; Spokane Tribe – $5,000 for a new roof; Chewelah Floor & More – vinyl flooring work; Banner Furnace & Fuel – HVAC system work; Heat supply – HVAC system; Doug Miller/Overstock Builders Surplus – paint, trim, door.
Thanks to ALL the amazing supporters and many others, The Little White Schoolhouse has come a long way – but still has to cross the finish line!
In the meantime, the Valley Historical Society and the Valley Community would like to sincerely thank EVERYONE who helped bring valuable life back to the historic Valley Little White Schoolhouse.
If you or your company would like to support the restoration of a rare historic landmark and help build a local history museum, please email ValleyHistoricalSociety@gmail.com or write to Valley Historical Society, PO Box 393, Valley, WA 99181.