Edward Kelley School (Brighton School) Historical Marker

Built in the mid-19th century, the Brighton School was constructed in a Gold Rush-era community once known as Brighton, now a neighborhood of Sacramento. The one-room schoolhouse had a single classroom and a small library, with a simple rectangular design and bell tower typical of 19th-century schoolhouses in rural communities. Following several fires, the wooden schoolhouse burned down completely on one occasion. It was reconstructed in the same style, most likely in 1869, as noted on a sign placed on the existing building. In 1923, the structure was relocated to its present location on Bradshaw Road, and the following year, it was renamed the Edward Kelley School in honor of the donor who gave the land. Currently housing a preschool, the building is recognized as the oldest continuously operating schoolhouse in California. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

The Brighton School is the oldest continuously operating schoolhouse in Sacramento County, and is one of the oldest in the state. The original one-room schoolhouse was built in the 1850s in a community that was once known as Brighton, now a neighborhood of Sacramento several miles west of the building’s present location. As the community of Brighton expanded following the 1849 Gold Rush, the number of students also increased. To accommodate the growing population, the schoolhouse was eventually divided into three separate classrooms to provide more space. An out-building was also constructed behind the schoolhouse, and drinking fountains were installed next to the building.

As often occurred with wooden structures during this era, a fire engulfed the schoolhouse on at least three separate occasions in the second half of the 19th century. As noted on the National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for the structure, at some point between 1869 and 1891, the schoolhouse did burn down completely. As a result, the building was reconstructed at least once, and the current façade includes a sign at the entrance stating that the existing schoolhouse was built in 1869. The simple, rectangular wooden schoolhouse and bell tower share the same style as the earlier building, with its classic 19th-century one-room schoolhouse design.

In December 1923, the school building was moved east from Folsom Boulevard in Brighton to its present location on Bradshaw Road and Lincoln Village Drive. The following year, the name of the school was changed to the Edward Kelley School, in honor of the donor who gave the land for the schoolhouse at its new location. Although its location has changed, the preserved building reflects its origins in the Gold Rush-era community of Brighton a few miles from Old Town Sacramento. Today, it houses a preschool, and its present use has led to it being recognized as the oldest continuously-operating schoolhouse in Sacramento County. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

"California SP Brighton School: Nomination Form, National Register of Historic Places," National Archives. April 3rd, 1981. Accessed July 31st, 2023. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123860549.

George, Bill. "For a brief time, Brighton was a center of Gold Rush excitement", Bill George. May 1st, 2018. Accessed July 31st, 2023. https://billgeorge1.com/brighton-a-center-of-gold-rush-excitement/.

"History of Education in Sacramento County," Sacramento County Office of Education. Accessed October 13, 2017. https://www.scoe.net/about/history/Pages/school_gallery.aspx.