The Street Seen: John Muir Elementary School
721 Ocean Park Boulevard @ Lincoln
Okay this is complicated. The John Muir Elementary School, at Ocean Park Boulevard at Lincoln, is built in 1922 as a 2-story building, and then following the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, is rehabilitated as a 1-story building in 1934. Sixty years later, as part of an intricate Ocean Park Education Plan by Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), John Muir Elementary School is moved to Los Amigos Park at Ocean Park & 6th St. However, the existing buildings at the Ocean Park & Lincoln site remain and become the Olympic Continuation High School. Forewarned - let’s step back see how the story unfolds.
John Muir Elementary School (designed by Allison and Allison in the Mediterranean / Northern Italianate style ) is constructed on Ocean Park Blvd at Lincoln between 1923 and 1925.
In 1933, the Long Beach earthquake strikes. Damage in the greater Los Angeles area is widespread, and much of it focused on schools with multi-story unreinforced brick construction. A cursory inspection has Santa Monica students returning to classrooms immediately. In March 1934, the state commission inspects Santa Monica schools and calls for their immediate closure. Tents are erected on school properties as temporary classrooms.
The rehabilitation of John Muir Elementary School, which included the removal of the second story, is completed by architects Marsh, Smith and Powell in 1935-1938.
In 1952, library, cafeteria and kitchen additions to the original John Muir Elementary School are completed. Relocatables and temporary buildings are added to the site during 1967. The school is renovated between 1967-1971.
In 1978, artist Jane Golden paints a mural of a mountainous forest scene on the southeast corner of the building along Lincoln Boulevard.
In 1990, Santa Monica voters approve a $75 MM bond issue for school improvements, responding to warnings that “leaking roofs, faulty wiring and hidden asbestos threaten the safety of the children throughout the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.” The money is to be used to repair and upgrade deteriorating school buildings. Following criticism from parents that John Muir School is located too near the busy intersection of Lincoln and Ocean Park Boulevards, SMMUSD votes to dispose of the Ocean Park and Lincoln site, and build a new school at another location. Preliminary plans are developed for a new school at the Los Amigos site.
In 1993, SMMUSD decides, that rather than repair and upgrade existing deteriorating school buildings, it would be more efficient to close both close both John Muir Elementary School (Ocean Park & Lincoln) and the Santa Monica Alternative School House (SMASH) (4th and Ashland) and relocate them to a new school, which would be built at Los Amigos Park.
The plan calls for the costs to be covered by developing the Ocean Park & Lincoln site. The portion of the existing building closest to Ocean Park Boulevard will be renovated to house the district’s continuation high school and adult education programs (moved from Los Amigos). The rest of the school and playground will be demolished and the land (Lincoln Blvd - Ocean Park to Pine) sold or leased for development, with proceeds funding construction of the new school. But no developer is found.
In 2019, the entire facility is renamed the Michelle and Barack Obama Center for Inquiry and Exploration. This campus continues to house Olympic High School, an independent study program, Off Campus Learning Center, and the Adult School.