A History of St. Paul Central High School

 

Central High School was founded in 1866 in response to student requests. Prior to 1866, there were no educational opportunities in St. Paul beyond elementary school. About a dozen students wished to continue their schooling, so two rooms were set aside for the "High School" on the 3rd floor of the Franklin School, located at Broadway and Tenth Streets in downtown St. Paul, and the "St. Paul High School" was formed. Some people thought that the school was a waste of space.

 

Eugene Foster (known as the "Father of the High School") was the principal, and Mrs. H. M. Haynes was the lone teacher.

 

        

              1st CHS (1866) - Occupied the 3rd floor of the Franklin School on Broadway and 10th.

                                                                       Photos dated 1865.

 

 

The first graduating class was in 1870 and consisted of two students: one boy and one girl. The girl's name was Fannie Haynes (the daughter of the teacher) and the boy's name was A. P. Warren.  The first two diplomas were hand printed on sheepskin.

 

Gradually, the classes enrolled in the Franklin building became too large for the school to accommodate them, so in 1872, the high school moved to rented space in the Lindeke Building at 7th and Jackson Street where it occupied the entire 2nd floor.

 

In 1872, the graduating class consisted of 5 boys and 7 girls. In 1873, the graduating class  originated the custom of presenting each senior with a souvenir appropriate to his/her character. For several years, a prize was offered for the best essay: a Webster's Unabridged Dictionary and a holder for it. The President of the Board of Education also presented a prize to the one having the highest standing in the class, usually a fine set of Shakespeare's works.

 

Graduation exercises were held in the St. Paul Civic Opera House in 1872,  until it was destroyed by a fire in 1899. Then the commencement exercises were held in the People's Church, followed by the St. Paul Auditorium.

 

By 1879, the teaching staff had increased to 8 teachers and a principal. The hours were from 9 to 12 in the morning and 1 to 4 in the afternoon. A 15 minute recess was offered in the morning or afternoon.

 

That year, the Lindeke building at 7th and Jackson was finally determined to be ill-suited for a high school. The first floor of the building was occupied by a dry goods store and a fresh fish market. In  warm weather, the aroma from the fish market rising to the 2nd floor was nearly unbearable. To make matters worse, the building was infested with rats. A sign over one door reminded the pupils this was their "last chance for an education."

 

In the School Board's annual report of 1879, it declared that although the school was a pleasing view on the outside, the atmosphere inside was "morally, socially and physically unhealthy". The rooms were noisy, ill-ventilated and sunless. This report aroused the city council to take action, and a bond-raising proposition for a new high school was made. This proposition was rejected by the voters, but it was re-made in 1881 and was passed by 3,000 votes. Work on a new high school was begun immediately. The site chosen was located at 10th and Minnesota Street.

 

In 1883, this 27-room building at 10th and Minnesota Streets was completed The first enrollment of the new school was a total of 233 students.

 

In 1888, a 14-room annex was added for laboratories, but there was no money for an astronomical observatory. The Debate society decided to put on plays to make up the money to pay for it. Soon, Central was known as the only high school in the United States to have a fixed telescope with a lense ground and polished by the great telescope maker Alvan Clark (1804-1887), whose company built some of the largest and best telescopes in the world, including the telescope for the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. 

 

The name of the school was changed from "St. Paul High School" to "Central High School" in 1888.

 

Mechanics Arts High School, then known as Manual Training High School, was first housed in the basement of Central.

 

After the new high school at Marshall and Lexington was built, this building became the site of the "new" Madison Elementary School (replacing the old one), operating from 1912-1929.

 

             

                 3rd CHS, 1883/1888 - Central High School, 10th and Minnesota Streets

                 (later becoming the new site of Madison Elementary School).

                                                     1888 version shown.

 

Soon the building on 10th and Minnesota Street became too small, and the corner of Marshall and Lexington Avenues was chosen as the new site.

 

Marshall/Lexington  building:

Working name:    West End High School

Proposed name:   Lexington High School

Final name:      Central High School

Architect:       Clarence H Johnston, Sr. - prominent St. Paul

                 architect, studied architecture in St. Paul

                 as well as MIT, and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris,

                 travelled Europe and Asia. Also designed houses for

                 Summit Ave, buildings for the University of Minn, many

                 others.

Architectural Artist:  JC Trott  (employed by the architect)

Style:           Collegiate Gothic

Land purchased:  1909

Designed:        1909-1910

Building Permit Issued:  May 31, 1910

Builder:         C. Ash Company

Construction started:   1910

Ready for occupancy:    1911  (old school dropped from City Directory)

Cornerstone laid:       April, 1912 (building completed)

Flagpole installed:     1914

New gymnasium:          1924

Stadium:                1943

Cost for 1909-1943:     $650,000 (not counting maintenance, heating,

                        etc)

 

 

    

                             Architect's drawing of proposed school at Marshall and Lexington

 

 

 

          

                4th CHS, Circa 1912 - St. Paul Central High School,  Marshall and Lexington

 

 

It was at first thought appropriate to rename the school "Lexington", however during the week before the laying of the cornerstone, the alumni prevailed upon the Board to keep the name "Central". Around this time, the Minuteman was adopted as the school's logo, based on the name of the colonial militia of the 1770's, who fought the first battle of independence of the American Colonies at Lexington, Massachusetts - apparently as a compromise with those who wished the school to be named "Lexington"..

 

The school at Marshall and Lexington cost about $650,000 to build. The property was acquired for $40,000 (1909 and 1938), and was built for $450,000, with additions costing  $110,000 (1924) and $50,000 (stadium, 1943)..

 

The original building was designed for 1,500 students, and was expanded in 1924 to accomodate a larger student population. The expansion consisted of a new gymnasium attached to the west side of the school, next to the parking lot and public tennis courts. One of the doorways to the new gym said "Girls" carved in stone above the entrance, as can be seen  in a 1925 Central yearbook. The old gym was located above the auditorium (in the center of the open square), and converted to other use.

 

By 1936, Central had a student body of approximately 2900 students.

 

To get to and from the school in the 1910's through the early 1950's, students either walked, were driven by their parents, drove their own cars (in some cases), or took the streetcar.

 

Electric streetcars, the main form of public transportation from the 1890’s through the early 1950's, were important for the largely scattered student body. There were many streetcar lines available including: University, Rondo-Maria, Selby-Lake, Grand, St. Clair-Payne, Randolph, and Snelling Ave lines, all established between 1890 and 1915.  During the early 1950's, buses replaced the streetcars, and student buses were also utilized by the school (using yellow school buses and regular city buses) to transport students to and from their neighborhoods. A few students drove their own cars, but most walked or used buses in the 1950's.

 

                   

                               Streetcars used by students from about 1915 to 1953

 

In 1957, Highland Park Junior High School opened, drawing many students for their 9th grade, rather than to Central as freshmen. However, this has happened at least once before: Maria Sanford Junior High School (later renamed to Ramsey Elementary School) drew 9th graders from the Macalester/Groveland area in the 1920s and 1930s before being converted to a grade school.

 

In 1964, Highland Park Senior High School opened, drawing many high school students from the west and south of Central.

 

In 1970, 2 teachers started the Quest program to offer in-depth topics in the humanities not available in general survey classes. Classes were offered in topics such as Ancient Civilizations, Shakespeare, and American Indian Studies.

 

From 1977-1981, Central underwent a dramatic remodeling project costing about $16 according to the SPPS [See note 1]   According to a September 1980 St. Paul newspaper article by Roger Fuller, the school was remodeled and expanded to add special educational programs and make it the city's first "magnet high school" (students from anywhere in the city could enroll) to solve an integration problem, where 33% of the students were minorities in violation of state guidelines limiting minority enrollment to 30%. By attracting non-minorities to the new magnet school, minority enrollment would decrease as a percentage, and the school would meet state guidelines. A swimming pool was added in the basement area, an additional floor (called the 5th floor) was added on top, and a number of educational programs were added to the curriculum..

 

It was originally planned to have the students move from the building for a year so that the  construction could take place without disturbances. However, the vocal members of the community would not permit “the St. Paul School” to be vacant for even one year, so other plans needed to be made. The schedule was changed so that school started at 7am and ended by noon when the workers arrived.  In May of 1980, 5 fires occurred in one week, damaging mainly the 5th floor, and delaying construction by 2 months. .

 

By September 1st, 1980, the new sections of the school were ready for occupancy,  most of the remodeling project was complete, and the castle-like, “school on the hill” was no longer recognizable, looking more like a common parking ramp with no remaining character. The interior of the school was also greatly changed, except that the auditorium offers a glimmer of familiarity with the former school. The school opened with students from all around the city interested in the vast amount of educational programs. Areas such as dance, music recording, auto repair and a wide range of foreign languages, were not available in many other places in the city or the surrounding suburbs

 

.

              

                             5th CHS, Circa 2002 -  Completely remodeled school

1987 brought to Central the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. As the years passed the program grew and now IB exams are offered in math, English, social studies, world languages, and art. With programs such as these Central as earned the reputation as a exceptional urban high school.

In 1998 Central was given the “Blue Ribbon Schools Award” from the Department of Education. As Central moves into the 21st century, it continues to educate and challenge.

 

 

Scholarships

Between 1902 and 1955, Central graduated 11 Rhodes Scholars - more than any other public school in the United States.

 

Between the years 1995 and 2000, Central graduated more National Merit Scholars and Finalists than any other Minnesota school.

 

 

Anniversaries and Miscellaneous Facts

Central is the oldest continuously-operating high school in Minnesota.

It is the only 5-story school in the state.

Central "the institution" celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1966, and in 2006 was 140 years old.

The current school at Marshall and Lexington will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2012.

 

 

Links

Click here or on the picture for dozens of old pictures of Central High School and students from 1872 forward. PW=Lackner with a capital L.  See "History and Old Stuff".

 

 

CHS Building Summary

1.   1866:  Franklin School, 3rd floor, Broadway and Tenth.

2.   1872:  Lindeke Building, 2nd floor, 7th and Jackson.

3.   1883:  10th and Minnesota.  Expanded in 1888.

4.   1912:  Marshall and Lexington.

5    1980:  Marshall and Lexington. Gutted, completely remodeled and expanded.

 

 

 

Note 1:  The 1977-1981 renovation may have cost $27 million based on building permits issued during that period if an $11 million permit was not later canceled.  2 permits for $11 million were issued 1 month apart to 2 different construction companies in 1977, making it appear that one was possibly canceled and the other one used. If so, the cost was $16 million for the remodeling project as stated by spps.

 

Note 2: Similar Names:

The architect of the Marshall/Lexington building, Clarence H. Johnston, was succeeded by his son Clarence Johnston, Jr. as president of the firm.

 

The telescope maker Alvan Clark (1804-1887) was succeeded by his son, Alvan Graham Clark (1832-1897), as president of the company.

 

"Franklin School", the institution, continued to exist under the same name at another location after the old building was closed and the property sold in 1918.

 

Note 3: The original Franklin School  building (1865 building) remained a school until 1918, and was expanded significantly before 1900. It no longer exists: the land it occupied is now part of the Interstate Freeway System at the spaghetti junction of I-94/ 35-E/ Hwy 12/  Hwy 61 in downtown St. Paul, located at Broadway/ 10th St. East/ Balsam Streets just east of 35-E as it turns north, and a few blocks from Regions Hospital.  I-94 is the freeway that passes over the former school property.

  

                

                         Site of the old Franklin School - the first Central High School -

                         Broadway and 10th Streets, downtown St. Paul