Strolling through the downtown Village area of Arroyo Grande, you can just tell that it’s the kind of small town where everything has a history. First incorporated as a city in 1911, it’s one of the oldest established communities on the Central Coast. Centuries before that, the region was rich with Chumash Native Americans and later Spanish and Mexican settlers in the Rancho era. Agriculture brought railways through town in the 1880s, and we’ve been a bustling hamlet ever since.
To chart a course through our community’s fascinating history, you’re invited to visit five local museums and a research library maintained by the South County Historical Society in the city. Read on to learn a little about what you can expect at each stop.
Planning your visit? All Arroyo Grande history museums are free of charge. Hours are listed below, but please check the homepage of South County Historical Society for changes.
Photo courtesy of the South County Historical Society.
Heritage House Museum
126 S. Mason St.
Open on the second and fourth weekends of each month from 1 to 3 p.m.
A cultural museum housed in a Victorian cottage, the Heritage House depicts elements of home life and costume spanning over a hundred years in permanent and changing exhibits. The museum has an interesting collection of period clothing, photographs and kitchen items, just to name a few things, and docents are available to answer any of your questions.
The house was built in the late 1800s and has had multiple owners and renovations over the decades. The city of Arroyo Grande bought the house in 1976 and used it as a daycare center and home for their recreation department. The Historical Society acquired the home in 1997 and has done major restoration work to make it a mini-museum and visitor center. A gazebo and garden were added to provide a beautiful setting for weddings and other events.
Photo courtesy of the South County Historical Society.
Barn Museum
Just behind the Heritage House Museum 126 S. Mason St.
Open on the second and fourth weekends of each month from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Barn Museum is directly behind the Heritage House in Heritage Square. The Barn is the Historical Society’s museum annex, which houses a variety of antique vehicles and agricultural artifacts from the South County area.
It’s home to agricultural, ranch and mercantile artifacts, vintage carriages and vehicles, including a 1923 LaFrance fire truck, as well as a horse-drawn hook and ladder truck from the earliest days of the city. It also houses vintage printing presses and other interesting exhibits.
Photo courtesy of Enjoy Central Coast.
Santa Manuela Schoolhouse
Adjacent to the Heritage House and Barn Museum, 127 S. Short St.
Open on the second and fourth weekends of each month from 1 to 3 p.m.
The Santa Manuela Schoolhouse is one of the few remaining one-room schools in the county. A hands-on museum for exploration, the one-room school is restored to its original state with books, maps, blackboards and photographs.
The schoolhouse was originally built in 1901 on the property of Joseph Jatta, which is now under the water of Lake Lopez to the east of Arroyo Grande. The schoolhouse was used until 1957 and was then moved to another location due to the construction of the dam at the lake. In 1999, with cooperation from the Village Improvement Association and the City of Arroyo Grande, the school was moved to its current location on Short Street and completely restored to its original state.
Photo courtesy of the South County Historical Society.
The Patricia Loomis History Library & Research Center, aka Ruby’s House
Adjacent to the Heritage House and Barn Museum, 134 S. Mason St.
Open weekdays as the office of the South County Historical Society, 1 to 4 p.m.
Ruby’s House, or also known as The Patricia Loomis History Library & Research Center, offers teachers, students, journalists and researchers a wealth of materials on California history with an emphasis on South San Luis Obispo County. Ruby’s House was constructed in the late 1800s and through the years has been restored to its original beauty. The Library and Resource Center is available to students and community members for research projects, including the production of community history exhibits and historical reenactments.
The Library & Resource Center was made possible through the generous donations of two retired women journalists, Patricia Loomis and Jean Hubbard. Several hundred books, pamphlets, photos and scrapbooks were donated to the society’s library by Jean. Ruby’s House now also includes a catering kitchen and Bridal Room, which can be rented for weddings.
Photo courtesy of the South County Historical Society.
I.O.O.F. Hall
128 Bridge St.
Open by appointment only.
The I.O.O.F. Hall is a historic location also owned by the South County Historical Society and used for events. On the National Register of Historic Places, it is the former meeting hall for the “Independent Order of Odd Fellows.” The first floor is a multi-purpose area that serves as a theater and special event location, like for the annual rummage sale each November.
The hall was built in 1902 on donated land. A local contractor, Ben Stuart, did the stonework with native sandstone from a quarry just south of Arroyo Grande. It’s sandstone block face makes it an architectural standout in the neighborhood that’s otherwise filled with Victorian homes and buildings.
Photo courtesy of the South County Historical Society.
Paulding History House
551 Crown Hill St.
Open by appointment only.
The Paulding History House is a registered California Historic Resource built in 1889 and inhabited by only two families since then. It was the home of Arroyo Grande’s first medical doctor, Edward Paulding. His missionary parents and his daughter, Ruth, filled the house with artifacts from around the world.
Ruth Paulding was a teacher for many years in Arroyo Grande, and Paulding Middle School across the street from the house is named after her. She passed away in the home at the age of 93 in 1985. She left the house and its contents to the San Luis Obispo Historical Society, and in 1998 the property was passed on to the South County Historical Society. Dr. Edward Paulding was also a talented woodworker and spent many hours working on carvings that can be seen in the house to this day, along with other artifacts such as a Chumash Native American basket.
Plan your visit to our fascinating community soon! We promise it will be time well spent. Book your stay here.
