Renavated Collins School Building(Now The Cupertino de Oro Club Building)
On the corner of what is now known as De Anza Boulevard and Homestead
Road, the first one room Collins school was built in 1869 on a portion of the
ranch once owned by Lamuel Perry Collins, an early Collins District Trustee.
In 1889 a modern one room school was built on the same site. The architect
was J. O. Mckee and the builder Enoch Parrish. In 1908, an addition was made
on the West side of the one room school, cutting off the old bell tower,
adding the present bell tower between rooms, and tying the structure together
with a hip roof. Subsequently, the East side bank of windows were
redesigned to improve lighting for two up-to-date class rooms. Also, a
decorative band of shingles were added around the upper part of the building
and a "fish scale" pattern of shingles to the bell tower.
In 1921, Cupertino Union School opened on the corner of Stevens Creek and
Vista Drive. This one room school served the former districts of Collins,
San Antonio and Doyle. Cupertino De Oro Club, a woman's club, formed and
bought the building that same year. In 1959, when Homestead was widened,
the building was moved eastward to its present site which was bought in 1909
for the school playground.
The bell in the tower is believed to be the bell from the 1869 school used 50
years ago to signal the start of classes. The eucalyptus trees and the
remnants of pepper trees to the west of the building may date back to 1876
planting. The old Collins School building continues to be a meeting place for
the Cupertino De Oro Club.
*Sketch of Original Collins School Building-1869
*Winner of 1999 Cupertino Coin Club Medal Design Contest.
For more information write to the Cupertino Coin Club at P.O. Box 448, Cupertino, CA 95015.
Collins School Building
Cupertino Coin Club 1999 Medal
 Click here to tour next Historic Building:
3. EAST SAN JOSE CARNEGIE BRANCH LIBRARY
 Click here to return to Home Page
|