Century-old schoolhouse in SLO County could be remodeled as bed-and-breakfast

Mackenzie Shuman
·2 min read
2

Plans to transform a century-old schoolhouse into a bed-and-breakfast inn are underway in Avila Beach.

The San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which owns the property at the corner of San Antonia and San Luis streets, is working with Avila Beach-based Shear Edge Development to remodel the schoolhouse.

The Avila Beach Schoolhouse was built in 1913 as the second schoolhouse in Avila Beach, serving students of families brought to the area to work at the Unocal oil tank farm and in the local fishing industry.

The unassuming wooden building housed students until 1967. After that point, it was a facility for handicapped individuals and, later, the Avila Beach Christian Fellowship.

Now the longest standing schoolhouse in Avila Beach, the building’s foundation has been deemed unsafe for occupation and its roof is unstable.

The Avila Beach Schoolhouse pictured in 1913.
The Avila Beach Schoolhouse pictured in 1913.

The district recently wrapped up construction of nine homes on the southwest end of the schoolhouse property.

Monthly leases from those multi-million-dollar homes benefit San Luis Coastal’s general fund, according to Ryan Pinkerton, assistant superintendent of business services.

Remodeling the schoolhouse was a logical next step to help the school district earn money from the property while preserving a key piece of history, Pinkerton said.

Shear Edge Development still has yet to go through the proper approval processes with the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission and California Coastal Commission, Pinkerton added.

Once that’s complete, Pinkerton said, work on the building could begin within the next year.

This rendering shows what the old Avila Beach Schoolhouse could look like remodeled into the eight-unit bed-and-breakfast.
This rendering shows what the old Avila Beach Schoolhouse could look like remodeled into the eight-unit bed-and-breakfast.

The district plans to reopen the porch at the schoolhouse, which was closed in at one point. It also plans to restore the old belfry, which has been missing since the 1960s.

According to the plans, the schoolhouse building will be lifted so the foundation can be rebuilt. It will also get a new roof as well as other restorative work as needed.

“We’re going to bring it back to the original look of the schoolhouse,” said Amber Long, an architectural historian who is contracted by Shear Edge Development to help on the project.

Once complete, the schoolhouse will function as an eight-unit bed-and-breakfast with a manager’s unit and storage space for the South Coast Historical Society.

The San Luis Coastal Unified School District expects to earn money off nightly stays, Pinkerton said.

The San Luis Coastal Unified School District is set to remodel the century-old Avila Beach Schoolhouse into an eight room bed and breakfast. The historic schoolhouse is in need of repair as seen Aug. 17, 2023.
The San Luis Coastal Unified School District is set to remodel the century-old Avila Beach Schoolhouse into an eight room bed and breakfast. The historic schoolhouse is in need of repair as seen Aug. 17, 2023.