For over 125 years, Ivanhoe has been an anchor of the Silver Lake community as one of the oldest continually operating elementary schools in California.

Before this neighborhood was called Silver Lake, it was land inhabited by the Chumash, Tongva, and Kizh tribes. Much later, it became known as Edendale and Ivanhoe, inspired by the works of Sir Walter Scott. Many of the streets in Silver Lake have names that relate to Scott’s novels. For instance, Rowena, which borders the school’s campus, is named after Lady Rowena, the great love of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe. Other streets recall places in Scotland, like Angus, Ben Lomond, and Hawick. Some are derived from characters in medieval folklore. St. George Street is named after St. George, the patron saint of England and a number of other countries, who, according to legend, defeated a fearsome dragon. That’s why our school is called Ivanhoe and our mascot is a dragon.