Open house planned for Myakka City's 101-year-old school house

MYAKKA CITY -- Tenaciously, the Myakka City Historical Society works to keep the dream alive of preserving the community's 1914 wooden school house.

But a time machine -- a window into a community's past -- does not come cheap.

The society, which continues to work at winning the grants, and raising the other funds needed to complete repairs to the 101-year-old building, is hosting an open house 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday at 10060 Wauchula Road.

Planned are presentations about the cattle ranching, a historic kitchen display, roping demos and, of course, tours of the building.

Also scheduled are children's games, crafts, food, music, a bake sale, vendors and more.

Proceeds will go to help renovate the school house.

Myakka City Fire Chief Danny Cacchiotti said the school house has sentimental and emotional power for residents who went to school there.

"It's part of their heritage. They want to hold on to it. It's part of what they experienced growing up," Cacchiotti said.

But even for those relatively new to Myakka City, the importance of the 5,500-square-foot building that was decommissioned as an active school house in 1993 is evident.

"We are very interested in Florida history," said Amy Ambler, wife of Lindsay Ambler, one of the society's board members. "We enjoy having a historical vehicle like that preserved authentically. It means a lot to the community. This is what schools used to look like back then. It's kind of neat for kids to see that."

Marilyn Coker, president of the historical society, has led efforts for more than two decades to save the 1914 school house.

She has long held out hope that it will become a place for community meetings and library services.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter@jajones1.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Open house planned for Myakka City's 101-year-old school house ."