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The Oats Park School was built in 1914 by the Churchill County School District. It was designed by Nevada architect, Frederick J. DeLongchamps. The north and south wings were added in 1919 to accommodate new growth in the district. The school housed all grades, first through twelfth, when it was first built. Later, as schools were added, Oats Park became the elementary school. In the period before it was closed, grades three through six were still being held there.

The earthquake in 1954 caused some minor structural damage to the building. Perhaps the biggest damage was cosmetic. The historic fan window above the front entry fell in. Rather than repair the damage, the school district covered the area with plywood. Recent work has restored the front entry to its original appearance.

The school has been in a number of ways since being closed to school children. Community college classes were held there for a period, the Sheriffs department used the building as a training facility for time, and for some time has been used mainly for storage.

In February of1991, the school board voted to turn the building over to the Churchill Arts council. After studies were conducted to verify that a need exists for an arts facility and that the project was feasible, the renovation began.

The front of the building has been restored to its original appearance, inside however, has undergone a surprising transformation. A 350 seat theater has been added extending out the back side of the building. Structural enhancements, an elevator, and refinished floors, walls, and ceilings have turned this formerly dark building into a light modern facility. Still in the works is the north wing which will become a two story 3000 square foot gallery and the south wing which will house restored classrooms for meeting space, workshop space, and large dressing rooms.

More about the Oats Park School:

• The earthquake that damaged the school occurred on December 16, 1954, it was centered in Dixie Valley and measured a magnitude of 6.8.
• A lesson plan from the day the school was closed for elementary school classes can still be seen on a chalkboard in one of the downstairs classrooms.
• The roof of the building was redone in sections. It was feared that if it was replaced all at once, the building may have collapsed.
• The original DeLongchamps’ plans called for an auditorium in the place where the theater has since been built. The school auditorium was never built because of budget constraints.
• In 1990, the Oats Park School was listed on both the National and State registers of historic places

Valerie Serpa, Director, Churchill Arts Council:
“Why Fallon? Our answer is ‘Why not Fallon?’ It’s a wonderful community that’s absolutely passionate about everything they do including the arts and people absolutely love coming here. One of the things I look for, when people walk through those doors they’ll go, ‘I had no idea,’ they had no idea. Its here because of the support of the community and they know that.”

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