By Marianne Lincoln

One of my favorite questions for people in the Bethel School District is, ” Can you name the five original school districts that were combined to make Bethel?”

And yes, I even hit up the Superintendents for this one.

It is common for people to name Clover Creek. That is an incorrect answer. Clover Creek joined the Bethel School District in 1956. The Bethel School District was formed in January 1949.

The original five Districts were: Spanaway, Elk Plain, Rocky Ridge, Kapowsin & Roy.

The Rocky Ridge School (0318251016) was moved off its original site, but it is still in existence, near Cougar Mountain Middle School.

Here is a current photo of it at 25923 50th Ave E, Graham, WA 98338.

In creating this article, I discovered that neither Pierce County Assessor Treasurer, nor the Landmarks Commission has this building listed as an historic landmark. Wow, we missed the mark here. I am sure there are many other sites that will soon be “found” again as well. We need to get the history of the South Pierce County into the books!

The criteria are below. The building was moved, but it is the ONLY remaining original wooden school of the Bethel District. There is also a brick Elk Plain School that is listed as historic. That was actually the second Elk Plain School built. The first was a wood building whose bell is low in the bell tower of the Elk Plain Community Church. That is historic significance. Add your name in the comments if you believe this building should be listed.

Also, the property owner of this building will get a tax break on it if it is listed.

Here are the criteria:

A. Designation
The criteria used to evaluate historic properties for possible inclusion in the Pierce County Register are based on those used for the National and Washington State Registers. guidelines for all persons or organizations preparing a designation request to the Pierce County Commission.
These criteria are designed to serve as The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects of state and local importance that possess integrity of location,
design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and:

1. that are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the board patterns of our history; or
2. that are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
3. that embody the distinctive characteristics or a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
4. that have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history.

Cemeteries, birthplaces or graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original location, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature and properties that have achieved significance within the past fifty years can also be considered eligible for the Pierce County Register. However, greater priority will be given to those which fall within the following categories.

1. a religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance.
2. a building or structure removed from i t s original location but which is significant primarily for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event.
3. a birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building directly associated with his or her productive life.
4. a cemetery which derived i ts primary significance from graves or persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events.
5. a reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived.
6. a property primarily commemorative in intent if design, aqe, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own historical significance.
7. a property achieving significance within the past fifty years if it is of exceptional importance.

FYI, there are a few other schools around like the Benston School (0417043101) and Tanwax School (0417292014) that also fit this criteria, and need to be considered. Also, the Benston Post Office (0417042007) needs designation.

These schools were designated Sept. 9, 1986:

Alder School (04-15-10-2-017)
Alderton School (04-20-36-4-026)
American Lake South (02-19-22-2-002)
Anderson Island School (01-19-05-4-002)
Arletta School (01-21-22-3-012)
Collins School-1 (03-19-13-1-002)
Custer School (02-20-34-6-012)
Elk Plain School (03-18-11-3-005)
Fox Island School (01-20-01-2-011)
Glencove School (00-22-36-4-020)
Harts Lake School (03-16-07-2-005) [relocated to Wilcox Farm]
Longbranch School Gymnasium (00-20-14-4-008)
McMillin School (04-19-12-4-042/043)
Midway School (02-21-17-3-089)
Park Lodge School (5030001881, Lake Steilacoom Park)
Parkland School (03-19-09-3-002)
Vaughn School (00-21-02-1-000/017)
Weyerhaeuser School (04-17-19-2-031)
Wollochet School (02-21-32-2-043)
Woodland School (400500-027-0) [torn down]
Woodrow School (03-20-26-2-125)
Byrd School Site (02-20-35-4-059, part)
Manley-Moore School (Fairfax) [town down]
Kapowsin School (05-17-06-2021) [Elementary, now a home]

These are the Benston School and original Benston Post Office.