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How the San Antonio Valley Community Center came to be…
The San Antonio Union School District was first formed in 1860. Fifty-one students were registered in the district. It is believed that the San Antonio School’s original heritage leads back to the “Indian School”, which was located along the San Antonio River.
In 1917 the Weferling family of Lockwood donated 4˝ acres of land on the corner of Lockwood/Jolon and Lockwood/San Lucas Roads to the School District. The San Antonio Union School structure was completed in 1921 and still stands to this day. Additional rooms, bus barn, tennis court and two duplex apartments were built on the site in later years. The apartments housed the school teachers.
In 1974 the new San Antonio Union School was built and the old structure was abandoned. The San Antonio School District was forced to dispose of their surplus property by the State.
In February of 1984, the San Antonio Community Betterment Association, Inc. (SACBA) was formed by local residents as a vehicle to be ready to take title of four and one-half (4˝) acre surplus site of the old San Antonio Union School when it became ready. In July 1984, SACBA received Articles of Incorporation from the State of California as a non-profit corporation, whose specific purpose was to develop a recreational center for the community.
SACBA purchased the 4˝ acre property for $73,000 in July 1986, and in January 1988, a grant was received from the Harden Foundation in Salinas for $50,000 to aide in the restoration of the old school house. Three more substantial grants were obtained from the Harden Foundation over the next several months as well as generous local donations, allowing for the completion of what we now know as our San Antonio Valley Community Center. The total cost of the restoration was approximately $245,000.
We would like to dedicate this website to the memory of Anita Longmire whose dedication and tireless perseverance was instrumental in creating the Community Center that we all enjoy today. She was the driving force behind the formation of SACBA and the renovation of the old San Antonio School.
Anita, we all thank you!
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