Old Columbus High School/Central School

[Rhonda]

This is a photo of the solid copper guttering on the south side of the building. It is beautiful.......and is all around the building. Will they just bulldoze it into a pile soon??

[Rhonda]

[nancs]

Great photos, Rhonda, thanks for sharing.

I suppose that the demolition is already in progress? And that an arrival date in Columbus tomorrow, July 13th, translates I will only get photos of the rubble?

I so appreciate all the photos that several of you have posted. I try to share these kinds of items with my mom and her ' pesky dementia demons' as that seems to be when she enjoys my time with her the most. And when I can help her jar her memory bank and find her willing to share, fairly accurately, with me, things from her growing up in Columbus.

My love and thanks to all,
Nanc

[richard]

This picture shows the new Junior High School construction. On the left side of this photo, you can see the Industrial Building on the left and the Wilson Building on the right. This photo was taken from along Fifth Street.

The new school is being built on two blocks, between Fifth and Seventh Streets and Sycamore and Chestnut Streets.

[Rhonda]

Nancy,

No. The old high school is not in the midst of demolition. It is slated for use as a school one more year while they finish up building the replacement.....which I think looks horrid!

[Margo CHS Class of 55]

Does anyone know the official name of the Columbus High School building that sat across the alley from the old Olympia Dairy ? It housed all the vocal and instrumental music departments during the 50's. As I was in two Choirs( downstairs) and band ( upstairs) .. I spent almost half of my high school years there. For those who remember Acapella Choir.. Mr. ( Joe ) Williams was the favorite director ! He was sooooo talented ! He could direct with just his pinkie finger many times and we could follow his every move !! I learned much under his tutelage. He also directed our First Baptist Church choir so I saw him every day of the week except Saturday. I learned later that Jerry Robinson who was in our Class of 1955 returned for a while to direct the Vocal department also. GREAT GREAT memories !!

Mr McIndefer was our band dirtector at first and then Mr. Templeton. I was really not impressed with either director. I'm guessing it was because I was not that talented on the clarinet. However... it helped to get me in free to all the football and basket ball games !!
Otherwise I probably could not have attended many.
Those were the days with great band members and HOT BLACK WOOL UNIFORMS! ( great for football games but a torture chamber during the summer months !! Jim Dickey..Max Salkeld.. Tom Mueller ..Diane Meneely..Richard Land.. Shirley Gugle.. Allen Dillman..Jon Guckenberger.. Gene Amick...Nancy Barkes..Shirley Berenbrock and of course..Judy Eckles my dear and closest friend for over 50 years !!

[nancs]

Hi Margo, and that came up while I was in Columbus, and a couple of us sort of thought that building was called 'Washington School/building.' When I was in elementary school at Garfield, I know we had to go to that building to purchase our school books each fall. There were lots of bookshelves, almost like a library, and you went in armed with the list of books that you needed. IF you were lucky, or perhaps better put, your parents were lucky, you could make arrangements with some friend or neighbor in school a year ahead of you, and you could buy their used books.

I also recall having to cart my accordion from Garfield to that building for lessons after school. Was a long haul to carry it from home to Garfield, and a genuine pain to get on a Lepert bus after school to go to those lessons. And another good example of music lessons that my folks thought I should have, that 'didn't take.' ;D

To that list of band members, shouldn't you add Bob Barkhimer, pretty sure he did dance band with James Kaye, and probably regular band? I know he plays now in a church band, think James Kaye said bass, not sax.

Nanc

[Margo CHS Class of 55]

You are right Nanc ....

Bob Barkhimer played sax in the band and the Dance Band. So did Gertie Lou Perry and Dick Metz and I had forgotten they both played trumpet. I looked again and saw James Kaye ( in the '53 log). I do remember him talking at one time about a Dance Band but can't locate any info in the logs.
No record of a Dance Band that year or in '54. Maybe it was not started until 1955 ?? Picture is in the '55 log. You might check with him and verify. He is not listed in the Dance Band pic as he graduated in '53. Thanks for sharing... Margo

Dance Band members in 1955 were ...Nancy Miller..Chuck Shaw..Tom Mueller..Frances Winchester..Sandra Baker..Bob Barkhimer..Gene Amick..Gertie Lou Perry..Frank Miller..Dick Metz..and Barry Hart.

[Ricky_Berkey]

They are incorporating some small elements of old Central School in the new building as a legacy to the past. It's sad that more of a fight wasn't made to save the old building but there just wasn't any organized effort. There were a few preservationists involved and also a few who just wanted to keep the old building as the cheapest option. They couldn't really agree to work together because of the differing agendas. All the talk of poor conditions of the building were due to lack of maintenance...as we all know buildings start to crumble back into dust the moment they are finished. I'm always torn because I love innovative contemporary architecture (and this will be a great building) but at the same time I'm a historic preservationist. I love the current library but I'm so sad that they tore down the beautiful old Carnegie library building. I never even got to see it...thanks to all these old postcards I've come to love it.







Heres the name from the front of the old building on the side of the new

[RER]

" Transportation 1945 Consisted Of Bikes, Unique Bus Styles and Few Cars "
Now, The Younger Generation How Can You Complain ?



Picture from 1945 Log

Bob

[RER]

" Columbus Central High School Year 1916 Log "




Bob

[nancs]

Columbus High School - 1927 Log

Nanc

[nancs]

Columbus High School, side view - 1927 Log

Nanc

[nancs]

Columbus High School Gym - 1927 Log

Nanc

[nancs]

Columbus High School, Industrial Building - 1927 Log

Nanc

[RER]

" Year 1940 Farm Student Bus System From Columbus High School"
In the early years students in high school and grade school were permitted to leave classes early, when needed for farm duties. Keep in mind The 1930s had just past and now they were in the forties. This was also the case in the 1950s, when I was attending Clifty Grade School.

Picture 1940 Log

Note: The nation was still a farming economy working toward an industrial nation. Today we are more of a service economy. Times have moved fast since the great depression of the thirties.

Bob

[nancs]

rer said:

" Year 1940 Farm Student Bus System From Columbus High School"
In the early years students in high school and grade school were permitted to leave classes early, when needed for farm duties. Keep in mind The 1930s had just past and now they were in the forties. This was also the case in the 1950s, when I was attending Clifty Grade School.

Bob

This sort of brought back a 'combined memory,' for me. I started school in Columbus, right after Labor Day, 1952. Moved to CA, and what a 'cultural shock,' as in this 'urban area' no kids had 'farm duties to tend to' and OMG, come the end of May when Columbus kids and my friends were done with school for the summer, CA schools continued til mid-June!!!!

Difference in geographical areas.

Nanc

[nancs]

This morning, as I considered what I wanted to 'attempt to scan with success,' (Since even Richard could not redeem my scan in a resize, will type the info that goes with this picture.)I looked through the stack of old Logs at my side. In thinking back------as a child, when chicken pox or measles would invade Garfield, and I got 'my turn at the malady of the season,' after completing my homework from school, I entertained myself looking through my folks old yearbooks while I listened to the 'soaps' on the radio and recuped.

It was always great fun to find my parents' photos in the Logs as teenagers, as well as other folks about town that I knew. In looking now, in 2007, at these Logs, I realize that 'within' there was a great deal of information in the way of the written word, such as the description of the Junior-Senior Reception in 1927.

Junior - Senior Reception (1927)

The Junior Class held the annual Junior-Senior Reception in the High School Gymnasium on May 22, 1927. This was the predominating and outstanding social event of the entire school year.

The decorations caused much surprised comment from all who were privileged to be present. They were by far the most striking and beautiful that have been seen in recent years at the school, and they made the spacious floor a fitting scene for such an event. These consisted of beautiful flowers, ferns and palms. The entire lower floor was beautifully decorated with the high school colors, blue and white. In the center of the gymnasium was an artistically placed and decorated fountain, which was effectively lighted with a soft red light.

A very delightful and enjoyable program, which was followed by a short speech of welcome by William Sharp, the Junior President. The Senior President, Ned Williams, responded. Immediately after this, the grand promenade was held. Excellent music was provided by the Voyles Melody Boys. Dainty refreshments were served, after which small parasols, paper hats and balloons were given to the guests.

The Seniors will never cease to remember their last year at Columbus High School, and the Junior-Senior Reception will always be remembered as the most pleasant social event of their departing year.

As I was typing, I noted the date of this event, being in late May 1927, would that surely not have put some real pressure on the yearbook publisher to have the Log 'out for distribution' before the end of the school year?

Thanks, Richard, for trying to resize.
Nanc

[richard]

History of Schools in Columbus from the 1933 Log.

[RER]

Richard this 1933 old Log page really sums up Columbus High School history better than anything I have read. The previous 1916 Log was great too, but this goes into better detail. The High School we talked about between 7th & 8th Pearl Street was confirmed about the Boys Club.

I still say they need to put a historical sign in front of the Pearl Street building because it is going to remain.

Thanks for the find and maybe you will discover other Logs that provide addition information.

Bob