Going Old School A history of neighborhood schools

Going Old School A history of neighborhood schools in Evansville By Joe Engler Kids playing outside Blankenburg School 1920 s

Evansville Public Schools • First schoolhouse in Vanderburgh Co. 1819 on the site of Orphan’s Home • First Evansville school stood 1821 -1850 s at the corner of 3 rd and Main Sts. • Early schools were small, private, and housed in various buildings – Old churches • High School (Old Baptist Church) – Civic buildings / fire stations • Park School (Fulton Ave Park) • Locust St School (Franklin Fire House) • Ingle St School (Crescent Fire Co) – Other buildings? ? ? • Main St School • Division St School (9 th and Court) • Indiana legislature enacted 1853 authorized free public schools. Horatio Q Wheeler was a local proponent SHORT LIST OF SCHOOLS 1. Canal School/Wheeler 2. Carpenter School 3. 9 th St School/Chestnut / Walnut 4. High School/Central 5. Fulton Ave School 6. Baker Ave School 7. Columbia 8. Campbell 9. Centennial 10. Howell/Daniel Wertz 11. Blankenburg/Cedar Hall 12. Delaware 13. Ingleside 14. Chandler School/Stanley Hall 15. Claremont/Howard Roosa 16. Henry Reis 17. Reitz 18. Bosse 19. Lincoln 20. Washington 21. Mechanic Arts/North

Canal Street School • First public school 1855 opens with 748 pupils enrolled • Erected along the Wabash & Erie Canal path • Known as Upper School when a second school was built • Wings added 1870 s (3 rd St and 4 th St) and middle also later rebuilt (Mulberry St School) • Renamed Wheeler School in 1910 after Horatio Q. Wheeler, education pioneer and one of the first superintendents • Neoclassical addition (shown right) built around 1914 • Razed 1974 Sketch of Canal School (c 1860) Wheeler School 1920 s

Carpenter Street School • Built 1859 -60 • Served lower part of the city (downriver); called Lower School • Made ornate with c 1880 remodel • Tower removed 1925 • Closed 1957 • Razed 1961, now site of WTVW Carpenter School at the turn of the century A streamlined Carpenter School after remodel

Ninth Street School • Erected 1867 along 9 th St • Renamed Chestnut School 1894 after new addition • In 1913, becomes Chestnut-Walnut School when Walnut St building completed • School closed 1962 • Walnut St school torn down c 1982 and gym razed 2009, now site of EVSC offices 9 th St School 1880 s Chestnut School c 1900 Walnut St School shortly after it was built

Evansville High School • Built 1868 after being in various locations • Tower and wings added during 1898 remodel • Junior high built 1913 in rear along 6 th St • Renamed Central once Reitz was built 1918 Evansville High School 1880 s Postcard of Old Central

Old Central (cont’d) Old Central c 1970 s • Shifting population and limited growth forced Central to relocate to First Ave 1971 • Razed 1973 but old gym still remains The iconic clock tower can’t escape fate

Fulton Avenue School • Built 1870 -1 to serve the Lamasco area • Wings added to south (1880 s) and north (c 1890) • Tower removed c 1920 • Closed and razed 1973 • Now site of Lewis Bakery campus Fulton Ave School 1880 s Fulton School 1920 s with wings and tower removed

Baker Avenue School • Built 1871 -2 for the North Main area • Additional buildings erected over the years – Baker No. 2 (c 1886) – Virginia St School (c 1890) – Gym (1922) • Closed 1973 • Razed 1976 • Now site of SWIRCA Baker School c 1900

Columbia Street School • Twin of Campbell School • Built 1874 -5 to serve the Jacobsville area • Additions include rear wing (1895), annex (1914), and gym (1920 s) • Closed 1978 • Columbia Health Care now occupies site Columbia School in its original form Columbia School campus 1940 s

Campbell Street School • Twin of Columbia School • Built 1874 -5 to serve the growing Culver area (street car) • Rebuilt after lightning destroyed the original school 1905 and took the twobuilding form • Renamed Culver School in 1933 after a former principal • Old section razed 1983. School shifted to the southeast Campbell St School around 1895 Culver c 1980 before demolition

Centennial School • Opened 1876 during country’s centennial • Served West Side students • Wings added c 1900 • Gym/cafeteria added 1940 s • Closed when Helfrich Park opened 1965 • Original USI campus (ISUE) • Razed 1972 • Old section stood until recently; now empty lot behind 5/3 Bank Old postcard of Centennial School Centennial 1965 as ISUE

Howell School • Howell School opens 1886 serving the town of Howell (Perry Twp) • Renamed Daniel Wertz in 1922 after the prominent banker • Enlarged several times over the years • 1986 builds new facility on Red Bank Rd and moves • Razed c 1990 Howell School c 1900 Daniel Wertz around the time the school moved

Blankenburg School • Pigeon Township School • Original school opens 1892 • Addition along Fulton Ave built 1917 • Renamed Emma Roach 1918 after first principal • Later additions, renamed Cedar Hall during 1950 s • New school completed 2010 and old school razed Blankenburg School c 1920 Old Cedar Hall – a victim of progress

Delaware Street School • Built 1896 to serve the growing northeast side (Jimtown area) • School subsumed the old section, razed 1959 • Small gym is the oldest remaining section Sketch of the new Delaware School Oldest remaining section – 1920 s gym

Ingleside School • Built 1899 • Township School? • Behind Barker Ave Christian Church • Closed 1920 • Later converted to apartments • Razed c 1970 Only found image of Ingleside School, from aerial view 1940

Chandler Avenue School • Built 1900 for the growing Bayard Park neighborhood • Expanded 1915; renamed Stanley Hall • Closed 1972 • Only a small section of the school remains today Chandler School original entrance New addition after renamed Stanley Hall

Claremont School • Pigeon Township School built 1901 • Renamed Howard Roosa 1921 • Large addition 1922 • Isolated by US 41 and Lloyd Expressway • Closes 2011, now Joshua Academy Claremont School (Pigeon Twp) c 1908 Howard Roosa 1930 s (original section at left)

Henry Reis School • Built 1914 to replace old Olmstead School (Pigeon Township) • Addition 1925 triples the size of the school • Closes 1968 • Served as the North Annex in recent years • Now Lifesong Academy Henry Reis 1920 s before addition Henry Reis today

Reitz High School • Reitz built 1918 to serve the West Side • Named after benefactor Francis Joseph Reitz • 1921 Reitz Bowl completed • West wing built 1926 • 1950 s gym and new wing cover original façade • 1990 s link and wing added Bird’s eye view of Reitz 1918 Reitz addition c 1920 along Dreier Blvd

Reitz High (cont’d) From this aerial view, the original section of the school is clearly visible Addition of gym c 1955 butchers the curb appeal of the school

Bosse High School • Plans for East Side high school begun 1922, opened 1924 • Named after Mayor Benjamin Bosse • Enlow Field built soon after school was completed • Additions to the rear kept the historic look Bosse High c 1927 Aerial view of Bosse and Enlow Field

Washington School • Built from 1936 -7 on Washington Ave • Addition built in rear 1950 s • Becomes middle school 1984 Sketch of the new Washington School Rear of Washington School just before the school opened

Mechanical School • Mechanic Arts School built 1938 • Becomes North High School in 1956 • Several additions over the years now fronting Stringtown and Diamond • North relocates 2012, now Academy for Innovative Studies Mechanic Arts School after it was built Former North High School view looking from Wedeking Ave

- 14 7 10 5 6 9 15 11 18 2 4 13 3 1 12 16 - 8 17

Further Expansion • • • Dexter (a. k. a East Side School) 1949 Glenwood 1954 Fairlawn 1955 Plaza Park 1955 West Terrace 1956 Oak Hill 1957 Mc. Gary 1962 Evans 1962 Helfrich Park 1965 (replaced Centennial and West Heights) Stockwell 1971 Thompkins 1972

Township Schools • • Largely one-room schools Pre-date public schools Named and numbered As city schools boomed, a shift in consolidating township schools occurred to pool resources as far back as the 1920 s – – – Scott (Consolidated) School Union Township School Armstrong Township School Perry Heights (Perry Twp) Cynthia Heights (German Twp)

Township Schools (cont’d) [Clockwise from top left] German Twp. No. 2 (now a residence), White School (now—with addition–a church), Bockelman No. 3 School (USI campus), Mc. Cutchanville School (Mc. Cutchanville Fire Station)

Consolidation / EVSC • Heated debates late 1940 s arguing the pros and cons of consolidation • 1950 s EPS took over most county schools – Advent of Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) – Union and Armstrong consolidated 1962 • 1984 Established Middle Schools – Some Schools became K-5 – Some became 6 -8

Colored Schools • Also mandated by state but operated separately • First school at Chestnut St and 5 th St built 1867 • Additional schools followed population growth • Colored High School – – Governor St School Established 1878 Housed in various buildings Served surrounding cities Renamed Douglass High 1919 Clark High School / Frederick Douglass High School c 1910

Lincoln High School • Lincoln built 1928; consolidates several colored schools • Yearbook known as Dougite • High school closed 1962 • New additions 2010 blend with old style Lincoln High 1936 Lincoln Elementary 2010

Desegregation • 1949 bill integrates schools throughout state • Evansville’s “open school” policy did little to enforce law • EVSC was under jurisdiction of federal court • Plan in effect Sept 1972 • Some kids bused elsewhere (except Scott) • Closing of “neighborhood schools” – Stanley Hall, Wheeler, and Armstrong – Expanded to Fulton, Baker, and White • Around 1, 100 students shuffled schools

Questions? Joe Engler josephengler@yahoo. com Historic. Evansville. com