“Class, please come to order,” the teacher would have said back in 1895, tapping the blackboard with the pointer. Having walked up the hill and hung their coats on the cloakroom pegs, it's easy to imagine a room full of chatty children, as well as a few daydreamers staring out the massive windows, mesmerized by the scenic view of the foothills.

No doubt, that's how it was when Grass Valley's Grant School opened its doors in 1895. Its life as an educational facility continued until 1968. The building was then used as a church until 2001. Cliff and Betsy Brown purchased the stately structure in 2002. In 2003 when they moved in, the transformation began.

“Red pews occupied what is now our living and dining area,” Cliff recalled. “The place was barely inhabitable, and the amount of work to be done was daunting. However, Betsy and I were captivated by its location, size, value and history - and we were determined to revive its character and charm.”

“We'd just moved from the Bay Area,” Betsy reflected. That was also the year our daughter, Camryn, was born. I remember running a garden hose from the kitchen sink to the Baptismal font, and we used it for our baths. It was basic, all right.”

‘Home' work included three R's: Revere, Restore and Remodel.

Reverence was the starting point, and it involved removing wall-and-floor coverings to see what was underneath, and what could be salvaged.

They discovered that the original Douglas fir flooring had holes bored to secure the early classroom desks. The wall surfaces included old chalkboards. “What we could not use or restore,” Cliff explained, “we donated. We gave the old-red pews to a church in Penn Valley. One of the chalkboards was given to BriarPatch.”

The floors, complete with holes, were restored and refinished, and are in use today. The original tongue-and-groove bead board is also still in use. Vintage mementoes were found as well, such as candy-and-gum wrappers, school notes and a plain, leather strap. (Ouch!) You'll find many of them framed and displayed upstairs.

Other surprises were not so interesting.

“We knew the roof and foundation needed to be replaced and reinforced. However, the extent of the dry rot and termite damage did come as a surprise,” Betsy added, shaking her head. “What began as a one-year plan became a seven-year plan.”

Their engineering backgrounds helped them manage this huge project. Since Cliff's dad is a general contractor, Cliff's hands-on experience with his father enabled him to do a significant amount of the work. “If we could do it ourselves, we did,” Cliff said.” (Somehow Cliff managed to make time to work on restoring the stained-glass window at St. Joseph's Cultural Center.)

New wiring and insulation, new plaster moldings, picture rails and crown molding, a new kitchen, a fireplace, a sun room, decks and railings fell into the ‘remodel' category. It was extensive, but worth it. In its church phase of life, ceilings had been lowered. While they raised them to their height when first built, the Browns saved the 2 x 4s, and gave them away on KNCO's Swap Shop and to Sierra Madres and Padres. Although the large, original front doors and a number of interior doors were salvaged and refurbished, many others were given away as well. Good insulation, an electric-zone controller that maintains different temperatures for different areas, a whole-house fan, compact fluorescent lighting, and its proximity to town are other appealing environmental aspects.

Before I arrived, Cliff and Betsy had a list of local professionals who provided invaluable help in this epic transformation. Their heartfelt appreciation goes to skilled carpenters Ron and Shawn Boggs, painter Moses Jhai, Kubich Lumber, Mark Follansbee for carpentry and finish work, Jack Genovese of Sierra Sun, and Lin's Plant Parenthood (for her garden design that includes drought-tolerant plants - as well as ones that attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees to dissuade mosquitoes.)

“Much of the wood for the railings and posts outside was milled right here. In fact, Betsy became quite the expert,” Cliff mentioned with pride.

Today the landmark schoolhouse turned church is a warm, inviting home, rich in respect for its past and a love of life today. Set on one-half an acre, its 5,000 sq. ft. floor plan now comprises five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and two half-baths. A highlight of Music in the Mountains' most recent Home Tour, visitors enjoyed the new kitchen (not a garden hose in sight!), the beautiful sunroom, the recreation room with its pool table, chess and checkers boards, the wine cellar, family-room library - as well as the unusual, magnificent decks and fountain. On 4th of July, friends and family gather on the front lawn to enjoy a bird's-eye view of the fairgrounds' fireworks.

With ceilings high enough to accommodate a 12-foot tree, this gracious home shines at Christmas as well. With its views of Grass Valley, its history, its transformation and charm, I cannot imagine a more inviting place to enjoy the holidays.

Courtney Ferguson writes a monthly Home & Garden column.