A restoration project is getting under way for Corrales’ old school house at the corner of Corrales Road and Rincon Road, next to Perea’s Restaurant and Tijuana Bar.

The pale green, adobe building has been hidden from public view for more than a year, behind wooden fencing and a curtain of “Tree of Heaven” foliage. The structure, originally constructed as a school in the late 1800s, is where most of Corrales’ elderly citizens got their elementary education. 

The house has been vacant since the death of its last resident, Bobby Perea, in 2008. In deteriorating condition, the structure had been walled off by order of Village officials. 

For nearly a year, John Perea negotiated purchase of the property held in a family trust. He acquired it earlier this year and has begun discussion on what may be needed to restore it has an historic structure.

Although the adjacent property that has the restaurant has been owned by the Perea family for a long time, the school house was purchased by the Pereas in the late 1950s.

“The idea right now is to restore the old school house and property back to a condition as close as possible to what it was in the 1890s,” John Perea explained. “Right now, we’re trying to get rid of all the overgrowth and the debris piles that have built up over the years. That will give us a better picture of what the property looks like and give us better access to it.”

 Then he’ll work with consultants to come up with a site plan that will combine the restaurant parcel with the school house parcel. “We need a plan to preserve this and tie it in to the restaurant somehow to have better flow, parking and access to the property.”

Last year, Perea acquired the restaurant from his father, Teofilo C. Perea, who died June 20.

A dumpster was delivered to the site at the end of July, when clean up began. Trees growing close to the building are being removed to avoid root damage to the old structure’s foundation. A section of foundation along the south side of the building was shored up some time back.

Perea said the roof  seems to be in better condition than expected, but all of the flooring will probably have to be replaced.

Once he has a restoration plan, he will apply for listing on the State’s register of historic properties for the school house and possibly the restaurant. “We’re going to take our time to be sure everything works together.”

Completion of the municipal sewer system will probably factor into decisions as well, he said. “We might wait for the sewer system. Given that we’re going to have a sewer system, it might be better to wait and put money into the infrastructure there rather than put in a separate septic system now.”

The school house property has four separate structures, including the original school, an adobe storage building, a pump house and an attached building. Perea said he’s not sure that all will be retained, although he’s convinced the large adobe garage behind the house has excellent possibilities.

The school house is constructed of sod blocks or adobes, including walls for the pitched roof. Historian Mary Davis described the building at 4602 Corrales Road as “the village’s first schoolhouse, built in 1870 or 1880 by a Bernalillo carpenter when Jose Felipe Silva was the first superintendent of schools for Sandoval County.

“It was in use as a schoolhouse until about 1925.”

The building is featured in the book Corrales Historic Buildings: glimpses of old Corrales, published in 2000.

When it was a school, the interior was one large classroom. As a residence, it was divided into five rooms. The book reports that the original school desks and other furnishings were removed in 1925 to use in the new school building nearby.