Barton School House was the first school built in Redlands. Ben Barton built the one room school house around 1903. Ten years later a wing was added doubling the area of the building (about 2,700 sf). The building was later used as a single family residence, but ultimately was abandonded.

The conservancy rescued the building from demolition, and in 2008 contracted to have the building moved to Heritage Park. The Grove School assumed ownership of the building and the considerable challenge of the restoration work. This is a unique project in which a historic building is restored back to its original purpose.

The building is a multi-use assembly space to be used as classrooms and assembly events. A new service wing addition is planned to provide the restrooms, commercial kitchen and strorage space required. A new foundation was required to bring it into useful service.

• The fist phase was the installation of a new foundation.
• The next phase required a structural retrofit of the building due to the extreme deflection in the roof frame. The building was also severely wracked.
• Long span glued-lam beams were installed to lift the weight of the roof from the walls to enable the top of walls to be pulled back to plumb condition.
• The siding was removed to allow for the installation of OSB sheathing around the entire building.
• A vapor barrier and new shiplap colonial siding to match original were installed to finish the exterior.
• The existing double hung windows were unsalvable.
• New double sash double windows with detail to match the original historic detail were installed.
• With the building system stabilized a new roof was installed.