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History was among the subjects children of Pleasant Ridge pioneer families studied at their two-room schoolhouse east of La Conner.

Now it’s hoped the building itself can help teach and preserve local history going forward.

Initial plans are afoot to restore the iconic Pleasant Ridge School, which was built in 1891 and welcomed students until 1929, when its closure was hastened by area school consolidation and development of bus routes.

The old school, a house, and adjoining two acres of land were purchased last year by the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery District, whose commissioners hope to launch a private fundraising campaign for the proposed restoration.

They envision the former school, where plywood sheets were newly placed over the windows as 2018 started, ultimately serving as a gathering place following graveside and memorial services and special events, with the land making possible future expansion of the cemetery.

“It’s in its infancy,” Com-missioner Gail Thulen said of the school preservation goal during a meeting of the three-member panel last week.

The Commissioners hope to bolster efforts made in the late 1970s by the Pleasant Ridge School Association, whose members – many of them former students – raised more than $3,000 toward restoring the building at that time.

Their bid eventually stalled when the association was unable to secure ownership of the property.

Thulen and fellow Commissioners Curt Buher and Eric Anderson stress that Cemetery District residents won’t be levied for restoration monies. The funds will be raised privately.

The building’s rich history, a key part of Sue Ann Hackett’s 1992 Western Washington University master’s thesis, is such that Commissioners are banking on donors stepping forward to invest in its preservation.

Many famous La Conner area names, such as teachers Ida Leamer and Mary Chilberg, are linked to schooling on Pleasant Ridge.

The 15-year-old Leamer held the first teacher’s certificate issued in Skagit County and taught classes at her family’s home. She would later wed E.A. Sisson, who partnered with A.G. Tillinghast and R.E. Whitney to dike and farm several hundred acres not far from town.

Albert Leamer sold land to Skagit County for construction of what became the Pleasant Ridge School, a structure noted from the outset for its stone foundation, shake roof and striking bell cupola.

Inside the building remains a classic school blackboard still bearing chalk letters.

Commissioners are cautiously optimistic that further handwriting on the wall will spell success in terms of reviving the school building, thus transforming an historic landmark into a venue for future generations to enjoy.

Unlike history, whose course is set, the restoration timeline is somewhat uncertain.

Patience and perseverance might well be the next lessons to be gleaned from the Pleasant Ridge School.

“It could be a 10-year project,” says Buher.

A Pleasant Ridge School Restoration Informational Night is Feb.7. 6:30 pm at the La Conner Middle School library. Call Curt Buher for more information at 360-466-3141.