Mojave Unified Fire Insurance

I find the strangest things when going through my mother Marion Deaver’s files. This week I found an appraisal listing the values of all the schools within the district May 15, 1964, for the purpose of purchasing fire insurance.

The appraisal was prepared by Union Appraisal Company from Los Angeles, which had been in business since 1926, according to its letterhead.

The report listed the replacement cost of each building. The report showed that the appraisals did not include equipment, land, ground improvements, tennis courts, steel fencing or playground equipment. Nor did it include the cost of buses or automobiles.

The report was addressed to then Superintendent Robert P. Ulrich. At the time of the appraisal report the district had five schools, including Cantil Elementary, Joshua Elementary, the District office located adjacent to Mojave Elementary, and Mojave High School. The report also gave an estimate of replacing boilers and pressure vessels.

Cantil Elementary School, which is no longer used, was listed as a one story frame and stucco building. It also listed dimensions and added that the flooring was attached to a double wood floor and included part linoleum and part asphalt tiles. (We know, of course, that asphalt tiles cannot be used in modern classrooms and must be removed in classrooms if the tiles become ‘friable,’ or crumbling.”) The asphalt tiles contain asbestos.

The replacement cost was stated as being $21,120,000. The adjacent well which provided water for the school was valued at $2,325.00 (Try putting down a well today for that cost!)

Joshua Elementary School, located in West Mojave, was listed as a one story “modern concrete block building 30’ by 224’. It consisted of six classrooms, restrooms, an office, teachers lounge, and custodian room.

It was erected in 1959, according to the report. At that time elementary school students who lived “west of the railroad tracks” attended that school. Students in the downtown area and other areas attended Mojave Elementary School. The value of the school was stated to be $130,800.00.

The writers of the report gave estimates to re-build all the buildings located on the “main campus.” These included the district office, maintenance and bus buildings, Mojave Elementary, the elementary gym and swimming pool building, cafeteria, and Mojave High School including the music, wood shop, and metal shop.

The district office was valued at $19,400.00 and was a 1,300 square foot one story stucco building.

The bus barn and maintenance office were valued at $21,600 together. I may be wrong, but the bus barn may still be in use. The maintenance building now uses a ore modern building, and the old five room house is used as a lounge area by the bus drivers.

Mojave Elementary’s original building was built in 1938 by the WPA. If there is ever an earthquake or other disaster run to that building. It will never fall down. It has 8x12 headers and reinforced concrete walls. If you get there and it is demolished, start saying your prayers, there will be no hope…

Of course it was full of asbestos and areas had to be encapsulated or removed. It was valued at $381,550.00. The school office was 5,650 square feet, and its replacement value was $124,500.00.

The Kindergarten building, constructed in 1957 was listed at $81,000.00.

The gym and swimming pool area was well-built as well. Constructed in 1939, it was valued at $335,540.00. We will discuss the boiler located in the basement under the pool later.

The high school buildings, including the office, classrooms, and additional out buildings were listed at $156,080.

Many things have changed since 1964, and construction has been modernized at most of the campuses. Two schools have been added in California City and some are no longer used.

I spoke with Paula Dickerson, secretary to the Mojave Unified School District Superintendent, and asked her about the value of all those campuses today and she looked at the insurance policy which listed the cost of re-building them at $150,000,000!

That old boiler was listed at $5,600.00. But…that boiler heated the pool until the staff refused to go down those stairs and light it because they were afraid it would blow them up with it. It was never used again! The pool area is now a cafeteria.