John and Toni Christianson, who have restored nine historic granaries, barns, schools, and other buildings for their nursery, are preparing to take on their largest project yet: the Pleasant Ridge School on Valentine Road.
The Christiansons bought the school, along with its two-acre grounds, house, and shop, for $400,000 from the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery District last week, opening a new chapter in the community’s long time effort to save the school from slow decline.
“The opportunity to preserve one of the last remaining schoolhouses in Skagit County is an exciting opportunity for me and something I’ve dreamed about for 35 years,” John Christianson said.
Local historians applauded the sale.
“We are relieved that someone like John, with his passion about historic preservation, has purchased the Pleasant Ridge School. We know it is in good hands,” said Jo Wolfe, director of the Skagit County Historical Museum.
Previous renovation stalled by structural issues
The Cemetery District commissioners, led by Gail Thulen and the late John Hastings, purchased the building and property in 2017, intending to renovate it.
In addition to sentimental reasons, the cemetery district saw the purchase as a smarter investment — its small savings fund was only earning 1% interest from the county, while buying the property and renting out the house was expected to bring in about 6% annually.
The Pleasant Ridge School Association contributed the balance of its bank account to the district. So did many enthusiastic descendants of students who attended the school between 1891 and 1931, when the school consolidated with the La Conner School District.
But the project was tabled after an engineering feasibility study pointed out major structural flaws.
“We weren’t in a position to do fundraising, and we were worried about renovation costs escalating,” said Commissioner Tim Goodman, who took Thulen’s spot when he retired after 32 years with the district. About $12,000 in school restoration funds were returned to contributors in 2020.
“We figured our best option was to sell the property to somebody who wants to restore it. And John loves providing that nostalgia or romance to old buildings,” Goodman said. “That’s what he’s all about.”
Preservation work begins
Christianson and nursery carpenter Carl Jaegel are drawing up a project list, including a new roof using old cedar shakes. After that will come exterior work that doesn’t require county permits, such as new windows and new siding.
Christianson and Jaegel are on the lookout for historically appropriate replacement materials from buildings of the same age, like the recently disassembled Avon School gym at Bennett and Avon Allen Roads.
Anacortes resident Lisette Roozen Mast, who was disappointed when the cemetery declined to move forward on the school, is elated.
“The school is a gift that we should preserve,” she said. “I know that John and Toni will do it justice.”
Anne Basye is a freelance writer based in greater La Conner.
