The Antioch Historical Society has quite a history! Today’s museum was the first high school built in Contra Costa County. With the support of the Woman’s Club of Antioch, the first joint community bond for $20,000 was passed in 1908 by the school districts of Antioch, Pittsburgh, Somersville, Nortonville, and Live Oak.
Charles Appleton Hooper donated unincorporated land for the school. An election on April 1, 1910, approved the site and elected all of Antioch’s new trustees. Construction began in September 1910 and the school opened on November 4, 1911. Antioch and Pittsburgh dissolved the Union District in 1925. Antioch’s last class graduated from Riverview Union High School in 1931.
The official date listed in the charter of the “Reorganization of the Antioch Historical Society” was April 24, 1975, when the first meeting was held at Marchetti’s Restaurant with Elise Beno as the speaker. The society met in various locations in the community, often hosting luncheons for members at the Women’s Club; obtained various storage locations for the artifact collection; and sought a location for a museum, and membership continued to grow. On April 1, 1979, founding member, Mayor Vern Roberts arranged for the old Carnegie Library at 6th and “F” Streets to be made available to the society for their first museum. The museum quickly filled with exhibits. In 1994, amid rumors of the Riverview Fire Protection District merging with Contra Costa Fire, the Society submitted letters to the Fire District asking them to consider the old Riverview Union High School if the Fire District abandoned it. In 1997, upon learning of the pending auction of the building, retired Mayor Vern Roberts contacted Elizabeth Rambo to stop the auction and petition the County Board of Supervisors to sell the building to the Antioch Historical Society.
After successfully presenting the real estate contract under intense political pressure, the Board of Supervisors agreed to sell the building to the Society. Don Paracini, son of founding member Victor Paracini and a successful San Francisco attorney, stepped in to assist Elizabeth Rambo in the final negotiations. In September 1999, the Society moved all of its property to Riverview Union High School and began renovating and restoring the building. Two and a half years later, the Company was able to complete the purchase by fully paying the five-year purchase option, largely due to the support and contributions of the Paracini family.