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 two-building 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