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History of Salem High School

The Salem Board of Education chose a site on Garfield Avenue (later Lincoln Avenue) to build a new high school in 1914 to accommodate the growing number of students. It took three attempts to pass a $125,000 bond to fund construction. The building opened in 1917 and included 23 classrooms, an auditorium, and gymnasium. Over the decades, additions were made to the school as the student body continued to increase in size. In 1956, voters approved building a new high school to replace the overcrowded Lincoln Avenue building. The last class graduated from the old high school in 1958 before it was repurposed for other uses.

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44 views1 page

History of Salem High School

The Salem Board of Education chose a site on Garfield Avenue (later Lincoln Avenue) to build a new high school in 1914 to accommodate the growing number of students. It took three attempts to pass a $125,000 bond to fund construction. The building opened in 1917 and included 23 classrooms, an auditorium, and gymnasium. Over the decades, additions were made to the school as the student body continued to increase in size. In 1956, voters approved building a new high school to replace the overcrowded Lincoln Avenue building. The last class graduated from the old high school in 1958 before it was repurposed for other uses.

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Kevin Howell
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Century of Education 17

History of SHS at 230 North Lincoln Avenue


In 1914, Fourth Street School was overfilled with junior machine work were added to the manual training course. pers, and anecdotal information from long-time Salem resi-
high school and high school students. The Salem Board of Traditional academic courses included scientific training, dents, the auditorium was the site for many successful dramat-
Education chose the site of the city’s water wells on Garfield Spanish, economics, and sociology. The domestic skills cur- ic productions, operettas, band shows, and choir concerts. And
Avenue (later named Lincoln Avenue) for a new high school. riculum included sewing, millinery, cooking, laundry. And the gym, with its unusual second story track packed with stu-
At the time, the sole building on the lot was a log cabin built to vocational preparation for future office workers included dents, was "the place to be" when the SHS boys basketball
commemorate the city’s centennial. bookkeeping, shorthand, and typewriting. team played.
Voters had to be persuaded to pay for the new building. It With more students than ever before in Salem staying in Overcrowding in Salem's schools after World War II led to
took three attempts at the polls before voters approved the school to earn high school diplomas, a south wing with six voter approval in 1956 of a $2.5 million bond issue for con-
$125,000 construction bond in March 1914. “fireproof” classrooms was added to the building in 1922. struction of a new senior high school on East Sixth Street. The
The next year voters approved an additional $20,000 bond From 1937 to 1939 the Public Works Administration cornerstone was laid in 1957.
“to improve the new high school building by installing plumb- (PWA) built the north wing, which includes the library, lunch- The Salem High School Class of 1958 was the last to grad-
ing, electrical wiring, extra foundation, and finishing of the room, and workshop. In 1940 this wing was opened to stu- uate from 230 North Lincoln Avenue.
auditorium.” dents. Tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students began the 1958-
In 1916, a majority of voters approved a $65,000 bond for The original library equipment list in the Salem High 59 school year in the new Salem Senior High School. Ninth
“additional rooms, with the necessary equipment and furnish- School Alumni Association's archives notes that 60 ladder grade students attended classes in 230 North Lincoln Avenue
ings” at the new high school. back chairs cost a total of $540; two dictionary stands cost until 1965.
The building opened for lessons after a January 1917 dedi- $14.50; and the enormous oak and maple charging desk cost Much of the information in this article came from Salem
cation ceremony. The program published for the building ded- $310. Schools 1804-1981: A Tradition of Caring, a booklet edited
ication noted there were 23 classrooms, an auditorium, and For many years district administrators' offices were in 230 by Margaret M. "Pud" Smith, director of public information
72-by-74-foot gymnasium. Forging, mechanical drawing, and North Lincoln. According to Quaker yearbooks and newspa- for the Salem City Schools.

Boiler room
workers are
shown in this The cover illustration
1941 photo. of the 1975-76 Quaker
Just think of the junior high yearbook was
hundreds of done by Susan Menning.
students kept
warm over the
years in the old
high school!

330-337-3418 330-509-2542
[email protected]

www.mpwriting.com

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