Goffs Historic 1914 Schoolhouse Museum

About

Built in 1914, the Goffs Schoolhouse served children from the surrounding Mojave Desert mining and railroad communities. Architect Anthony Beimer designed the one-room schoolhouse in the Mission Revival style. For 23 years, it functioned not only as a school but also as a community center, dance hall, and branch of the San Bernardino County Library. The school closed in 1937 after the Goffs district merged with the Needles school district.

During World War II, the building became a canteen serving nearby Army camps associated with the Desert Training Center. Restored in 1998, the schoolhouse now operates as a museum and cultural center managed by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association. The surrounding site contains Route 66, mining, railroad, and Mojave Desert artifacts, along with the Dennis Casebier historical archive. The schoolhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and remains an important gateway to Mojave Desert history.

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