Our History
The Holly Schoolhouse
Nearly 100 years of history in the Holly, WA community.
The schoolhouse once a place of education, then serving as the Community Club and center of Holly life, tragically burned down in its centennial year. The schoolhouse has been a part of many lives, memories and is a special part of the local history of Holly.
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Meet Lionel Joseph Bourke
Meet Lionel Joseph Bourke whose name became a geographic marker in Holly – Bourke’s Point – on the northern end of Holly Bay (also known as Joe Hammond Bay back in the day). Bourke’s granddaughter, Marie Harris Sullivan, reports: My grandfather, Lionel Joseph Bourke, bought the canal house in 1941 or 42. He was the
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The Howard Clark Baby Grand Piano
The Schoolhouse baby grand piano, recently donated by the Howard Clark family in his memory, and tragically burned in the fire, is seen here played by Holly child Daisy Lerner at the Holly Christmas party of 2015.
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More Holly History
Excerpts from a historical text on the Holly area, submitted by Bill (William) Acheson.
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Holly’s 2nd Schoolhouse Teacher, Miss Gantke
Miss Emma Gantke, pictured here, was the 2nd teacher in the newly completed Holly School in 1922. Originally from Wisconsin, she taught across the Canal in Eldon before beginning her work in Holly. Miss Gantke, who never married, lived in the little cottage beside the school built for the teacher’s use. By all accounts, she…
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Holly’s Second School, c.1905
The first schoolhouse in Holly was established about 1893. William Rust taught in a building on his land that had originally been his home. Pictured here is Holly’s second school, built in 1905 on land donated by Robert Wyatt Sr. The school was located on the north side of holly, above Bourke’s Point. The dock…
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The Holly Schoolhouse, c.1922
Pictured here is the Holly School, nor the Holly Community Club. It was built in 1922 on land donated by Albert Pfundt (this photo was taken that same year). An exact duplicate of schools built in Crosby and Seabeck, students attended grades 1-8 here. They were bussed to Silverdale for 9-12. This school was closed…
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