The Little Red School House sits next to the Red River Library at the corner of Jayhawk Trail and Main St. (NM Highway 38) and houses the collection of the Red River Historical Society. It is a time machine offering a glimpse into the colorful past of the Town of Red River.

The Red River School building opened its doors in 1915, a replacement for the original log school house built on the banks of Bitter Creek in 1896 for the children of rainbow chasers who came to the mining camp beginning in 1895. The log building also was a social gathering place until burning to the ground in 1914.

The Little Red School served as a one-room school from its opening until 1942, when public education shifted to the Moly Mine school located at the mine site in Red River Canyon. It operated, however, for another 30+ years as a social center in the community, hosting weddings, funerals, dances and special events such as art shows and lectures.

The building sat on the banks of Bitter Creek until 1999 when it was moved to its current location. It was originally white and, at one time, gray. The Red River Women’s Club decided to paint the building red in 1962 because that was, they believed, the color a school house should be in America.

Today, the Little Red School House is still educating children and adults alike, as well as entertaining them with pictures, artifacts, and stories about the dynamic days of the tiny mining town that became a tourist destination in the mountains of Northern New Mexico.

In addition to the Red River Historical Society artifacts and photos on display, a school class-room (circa 1920s) has been created in half the 20’ x 40’ room. The desks, blackboard, geography maps and decorative showcase are from the school itself, saved from destruction by longtime Red River residents.

The Little Red School is open Tuesday through Saturday, 1-5 pm. There is no charge. Donations are most welcome.

The Outdoor Exhibit located behind the building includes items from the early mining days, including sections of the water piping that was part of the Big Ditch which was used to deliver water from the Upper Red River Valley to Etown for hydraulic mining. The first chairlift engine from the Red River Ski Area is also on site.

Prospectors explored the Red River Valley as early as 1879 when the Copper King mine was established. The nearby gold camps of Elizabethtown and LaBelle were partially responsible for the interest that eventually led to the founding of Red River City in 1895.