Riverside in Riverside County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Sherman Institute

Photographed by Craig Baker

1. Sherman Institute Marker

Inscription.
Established in Riverside, California, as a federal school for the education of American Indians. Dedicated June 18, 1901, and named for James Schoolcraft Sherman, chairman of Indian Affairs, House of Representatives, who promoted the appropriations act for construction, May 31, 1900.
Presented by Col. James Smallwood chapter Daughters of the American Colonists, Riverside, California, February 17, 1967.

Sherman Indian Museum - 1901.
Last of the original buildings of the Sherman Institute, U.S.Govt. Indian School, originally the administration building for the Mission-styled complex, built by Wilcox and Rose.
Cultural Heritage Landmark No. 16, City of Riverside.

This property, Administration Building - Sherman Institute, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

Erected by Daughters of the American Colonists, and City of Riverside. (Marker Number 16.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)

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series list.

Location. 33° 55.509′ N, 117° 26.243′ W. Marker is in Riverside, California, in Riverside County. It can be reached from Magnolia Avenue near Jackson Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9010 Magnolia Ave, Riverside CA 92503, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Inland Empire,

and in the Peninsular Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Hawthorne House (approx. half a mile away); Arlington Branch Library (approx. 0.7 miles away); Heritage House (approx. 1.1 miles away); Camp Anza Officer's Club (approx. 1.8 miles away); MALSR (approx. 1.8 miles away); Henry M. Streeter House (approx. 2.3 miles away); Magnolia United Presbyterian Church

Photographed by Craig Baker

2. Sherman Institute Marker

(approx. 2.3 miles away); The First Marsh Grapefruit Trees into California (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Riverside.

Regarding Sherman Institute. The school was founded in 1892 by the United States government to assimilate Native Americans into the mainstream society.
This was the first off-reservation boarding school in California. The enrollment consisted of Southern California Indian children from the Tule River Agency to San Diego County. Students ranged in age from 5 years old to early 20s. The main subjects taught were agriculture and domestic science. On July 19, 1901, the cornerstone was laid for the new school building of Sherman Institute. The Mission Revival Style architecture was considered a novelty when the school was built, and the city promoted the school as one of the landmarks to visit by tourists. To meet earthquake standards, most of the original school buildings were demolished during the 1970s, and new structures were built in their place.
The Sherman Museum is currently the school's only original architecture; it was once the school's administration building. The building

Sherman Institute Markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

3. Sherman Institute Markers

has been designated a National Historic Landmark and Riverside Landmark number 16.
In 1995 Huell Howser Productions, in association with KCET/Los Angeles, featured Sherman Indian High School in "California's Gold".
Sherman Indian High School is still an off-reservation boarding high school for Native Americans.

Also see . . .
1. California’s Gold - "Important Places". This half-hour video shows the school, beginning at 11 minutes into the program. (Submitted on June 30, 2024.)

2. Landmarks of the City of Riverside (#16). The last of the thirty-four Mission Revival buildings that comprised Sherman Institute, this structure was built as the Administration Building in 1901. The federal Indian school was named for James Schoolcraft Sherman, Chairman of Indian Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives, who promoted the act to fund the school’s construction. (Submitted on June 6, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California.)

3. National Register of Historic Places #80000831 (36MB pdf). NRHP application, excerpt:

In 1902, the Perris Indian School was closed and a new facility constructed at a new site
Photographed by Craig Baker

4. Sherman Institute Building
in Riverside, California. Here its role in Indian education expanded from a state function to one of national importance. It would not only provide a high school education for southern California Indians, but also for Indians from Arizona, Nevada, Utah and lew Mexico. Today, after 66 years, the only original building left on the entire campus is the Sherman Indian Museum, formerly the Administration Building of Sherman Institute and it was constructed in 1901-02. Immediately adjacent to the building is the historic park with its original palms planted by James S. Sherman and other civic leaders.' Mr. Sherman, for whom the school was named, was responsible for the institution's first appropriation of $75,000." He would later become vice president of the United States under 4illiam H. Taft, to date the only chief executive ever to visit the Sherman campus. Other prominent leaders who were instrumental for locating Sherman on its present site were R. H. Pratt, founder of Carlisle Indian School and Frank A. Miller of Riverside's Mission Inn Snow a National Historic Landmark) and Senator George C. Perkins of California.

This building
Photographed by Craig Baker

5. Sherman Indian Museum
was the center of many policy making projects such as the special five year Navajo program. Also, many important Indian leaders started their education at Sherman.

The school and its founders have been an important asset in the field of American Indian education. Today, the school still has high standards for in the early 1970's Sherman was chosen as one of 32 schools to participate in the model school project sponsored by the National Association of Seconday Principals. Today, the building is used for museum purposes and as a depository for past school records, including the school building cornerstone and its historic content. The museum is an essential function of educating the public about the native American heritage of our country and it is appropriate that the exhibits are displayed in the most historic building on the campus.

(Submitted on June 25, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California.)

Additional keywords. Sherman Institute, Sherman Indian School,

Original Buildings image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

6. Original Buildings

Sherman Institute Administration Building image. Click for full size.

from NRHP/NPS, 1977

7. Sherman Institute Administration Building

Credits. This page was last revised on July 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 428 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 7. submitted on June 25, 2026, by Volt Craft of Riverside, California.