Washington High School
Front of the former school building in 2013
Location
1300 SE Stark Street,
Portland, Oregon 97214

United States
Information
TypePublic
Opened1906
StatusSchool closed;
1924 building still standing
Closed1981
School districtPortland Public Schools
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,557 (1922);[1] 1,826 (1924);[2] 1,500 (1969);[3] 883 (1981)[4]
Color(s)maroon and gold   
MascotGeorge Washington
NicknameColonials
Washington High School
LocationPortland, Oregon
Coordinates45°31′8.3″N 122°39′7.2″W / 45.518972°N 122.652000°W / 45.518972; -122.652000
Built1924
ArchitectHoughtaling & Dougan
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.15000779[5]
Added to NRHPNovember 9, 2015

Washington High School was a high school in Portland, Oregon, United States, from 1906 to 1981. After fire destroyed the original building, a new building was completed in 1924. The school merged with Monroe High School in 1978 to become Washington-Monroe High School. The school closed shortly after in 1981. A few years later it was used as the Children's Services Center, a multipurpose social service facility that also provided day care and other programs for at risk youth. After that the building was vacant for many years. It was also used for a time as a location for administrative offices for the Portland Public Schools.

During a brief time around 2005, Washington High School was used as a temporary site for the relocation of some of the newly arrived survivors from Hurricane Katrina. In 2009, it was used as the site for the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art's Time-Based Arts Festival or TBA. In October 2013, plans to renovate the building for commercial use were advancing, with a mix of retail and office use planned.[6] New Seasons Market relocated its offices to the building in 2015 and is the largest tenant.[7] The former auditorium was repurposed as a music venue called Revolution Hall, which opened in February 2015.[8][9] The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in November 2015.[10][5]

School history

The first Washington High School was originally named East Side High School. It opened in September 1906, with classes temporarily held in an elementary school while its permanent building was being constructed[11] and moved into its permanent building in February 1907,[12] located at SE 14th and Stark. The East Side High School was renamed Washington in 1909.[13] The original building was destroyed by fire on October 25, 1922.[14][15] A replacement was constructed on the same site, made of reinforced concrete with a brick surface.[1] Designed by the Portland architectural firm of Houghtaling & Dougan, the new building also featured terra cotta trim.[16] It opened for students on September 2, 1924.[2]

Due to the baby boom and passing of a $25 million building levy by the school district in 1947, a new gymnasium was slated to be built.[14]

In fall 1978, Washington High School merged with Monroe High School and became Washington-Monroe High School. Monroe H.S. was an all-girls vocational sister school to Benson Polytechnic High School. After the merge, the old Monroe High School building housed a number of programs until 1994, when it became da Vinci Arts Middle School.[17][18] It was established in 1917 at Southwest 14th and Morrison and was named Girls Polytechnic High School until fall 1967, when it was renamed James Monroe High School.[19] Monroe High School had only 470 students in fall 1977, the smallest enrollment of any public high school in Portland.[19] Washington's enrollment had declined sharply in the 1970s, from 1,504 in the 1968–69 school year to 773 in the 1977–78 school year,[3] leading to the decision to merge the two schools, on the Washington H.S. campus.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Portland Public Schools (PPS) was faced with declining enrollment overall, as well, and targeted Cleveland High School (originally Clinton Kelly High School of Commerce) for closure. The Cleveland High School property was divided into two parcels: The site of the school building and the site of the athletic field, originally the site of the Clinton Kelly mansion. Clinton Kelly, an early Portland settler and minister, specified that the property was to be used solely for a public school. If the property was used for any other purpose, or put up for sale, the property would revert to the Kelly estate, and to the living heirs of Clinton Kelly.[20][21] PPS ultimately decided to close Washington H.S. ("Washington-Monroe" by then), and keep Cleveland H.S. open.

Washington-Monroe High School closed in May 1981.[22] Enrollment at the end was 883 students.[4]

Post-school use

After its 1981 closure as a school, the building was used for school district administrative purposes until around 2003. During that time a portion of it was also used for a public performance space, hosting events that included Lily Tomlin's "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" as a "work in process". Subsequently, the building was vacant, although it was prepared to house Hurricane Katrina evacuees in fall 2005.

In the 2002–2003 school year, Portland Public Schools identified a number of properties that it considered "surplus" based on the recommendation of Innovation Partnerships and the Real Estate Investment Trust.[23]

Central portion of building's front (west side) in 2015, after renovation

In 2005, the City of Portland purchased 5.4 acres (22,000 m2) of the school property for $4.5 million.[24] That parcel included the gym, a three-story addition, a one-story outbuilding and the track and field. At that time, the city was intending to use the land for a community center and athletic fields when funding became available.[24] The remaining 2.6 acres (11,000 m2) comprises two parcels in the northeast and southeast corners of the site, one largely vacant, and the other housing the multi-story brick high school building.[25] Beam Development was planning on developing the space into condos and commercial buildings.[24]

In 2009, Portland Parks & Recreation received funds as a result of the support of Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon H. Smith. This money was received as a United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grant for $665,000. In April 2009, an advisory committee was appointed by Portland Commissioner Nick Fish to develop the scope and program for the facility.

From 2009 to 2012 the Washington High School site was used each September by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art for their Time-Based Art Festival. Dubbed "The Works", the site displayed many of the visual arts pieces.[26] Though it was opened and cleaned out, in part, due to the TBA Festival, in 2009 the site was still slated to be turned into a community center. Preservation talks about the planned center were still under way.[27]

Concurrently, PPS commissioned an update of an appraisal on the building, which was due to be finished in January 2010. The district also plans to issue a "request for information" to see if any other developers are interested in buying the long-vacant high school. Doug Capps, a PPS facilities manager, told an advisory committee on December 1, 2009, that an offer on the building could be submitted to the school board as soon as March or April 2010.[27]

In 2011, the site hosted the City Repair Project's Earth Day event, Earth Day Incorporated.[28] In April 2011, local volunteers began the process of creating the Buckman Historic District which, if approved, would have included Washington High School.[29] However, the proposal to create such a district was dropped in 2013 after failing to attract sufficient support from property owners in the affected area.[30]

Renovation and repurposing

Seen from the northeast, at 14th & Stark, with small corner marquee for Revolution Hall, the new music venue

In October 2013, plans for a private firm to acquire the building and begin renovation were advancing. The developer planned to use the ground floor for retail use and the upper floors as office space.[6] In September 2014, New Seasons Market signed a lease to move its headquarters to the building, occupying over a third of the office space;[31] as of January 2015, the move was scheduled for March 2015.[7]

The Washington High School building was reopened in early 2015. Classrooms had been converted into office space (with 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2)),[32] and the auditorium was converted into a music venue called Revolution Hall (run and operated by Mississippi Studios). In addition to the auditorium, Revolution Hall operates a smaller venue called Show Bar on the first floor, and several other bars in the building including Marthas, Assembly Lounge, and the Roof Deck. The second largest tenant is New Seasons Market, which leases the top floor of the building for its corporate offices, while creative agencies including Struck, Copious, and Murmur Creative leased offices on the first two floors.

Notable alumni

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "New Schools Finished" (August 24, 1924). The Sunday Oregonian, p. 11
  2. 1 2 "High School Too Small; New Washington Building Already Has Student Surplus" (September 17, 1924). The Morning Oregonian, p. 8.
  3. 1 2 Collins, Huntly (October 9, 1977). "Reorganization of schools may spell end of Monroe". The Sunday Oregonian. p. B6.
  4. 1 2 Durbin, Kathy (May 16, 1981). "Mood at school quiet, somber". The Oregonian. p. A12.
  5. 1 2 Jessica Engeman; Brandon J. Grilc (September 2015). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Washington High School" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved December 18, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. 1 2 Binder, Melissa (October 17, 2013). "Washington High School redevelopment excites neighbors, shouldn't affect dog park". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Njus, Elliot (January 29, 2015). "Washington High School overhaul unveiled as new office tenants move in". The Oregonian/OregonLive. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ DeNies, Ramona (November 13, 2014). "New Music Venue to Open at Washington High School: Revolution Hall". Portland Monthly. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  9. ↑ Greewald, David (February 12, 2015). "Revolution Hall Opens Tonight with First Concert". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ Pamplin Media Group staff (December 2, 2015). "Old Washington High School lands on national history list". Portland Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Vacation is Over: City Schools Will Open Today With Big Attendance". The Morning Oregonian. September 17, 1906. p. 7. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  12. ↑ "New High School Opens". The Morning Oregonian. February 11, 1907. p. 8. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Change in Names of High Schools; West Side is Lincoln, East Side is Washington and Albina to Be Jefferson". The Morning Oregonian. February 9, 1909. p. 10. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  14. 1 2 Polich, Edward L. (1950). A history of Portland's secondary school system with emphasis on the superintendents and the curriculum (PDF) (M.A.). University of Portland. pp. 66, 97, 160. OCLC 232551057.
  15. ↑ "School Blaze Is Laid To Fire Bug" (October 26, 1922). The Morning Oregonian, p. 1.
  16. ↑ "School Plans Are Ready; Washington Designs To Be Taken Up Wednesday" (April 22, 1923). The Sunday Oregonian, p. 15.
  17. ↑ "Da Vinci Arts School (Portland, Oregon)". Oregon Digital. University of Oregon. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  18. ↑ "About Us". da Vinci Arts Middle School. Portland Public Schools. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  19. 1 2 Collins, Huntly (October 9, 1977). "School's identity feared threatened". The Sunday Oregonian. p. B6.
  20. ↑ "Cleveland's History". Portland Public Schools - Cleveland High School. January 8, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ↑ Hudnut, Vernon (January 8, 2024). "Washington High School - More History". Washington High School. Retrieved January 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ↑ Melton, Kimberly (February 18, 2010). "School closures involve more than enrollment". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Washington-Monroe Site". Archived from the original on February 27, 2009.
  24. 1 2 3 Leeson, Fred (February 21, 2008). "Neighborhood News Updates". The Oregonian.
  25. ↑ http://159.191.14.139/.docs/pg/11894
  26. ↑ "TBA Festival Box Office - PICA". www.pica.org. Archived from the original on June 20, 2009.
  27. 1 2 "Update on Washington High School – Proposed Community Center". December 7, 2009.
  28. ↑ Earth Day Incorporated: We Need You! April 23, 2011 10 am – 7PM | Washington High School (SE 12th & Stark) Field
  29. ↑ Buxton, Matt (April 22, 2011). "Buckman volunteers work to make turn-of-the-century neighborhood a historic district". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
  30. ↑ Beaven, Steve (May 22, 2013). "Buckman Historic District proposal gets a thumbs-down from the state". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  31. ↑ Njus, Elliot (September 29, 2014). "New Seasons offices will anchor Washington High School redevelopment". The Oregonian. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  32. ↑ Rendleman, Raymond (April 22, 2015). "From resistance to renovation of Concord Elementary School?". Portland Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  33. ↑ Karson, Burton L. (1976). Festival essays for Pauline Alderman: A Musicological Tribute. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press. p. viii. ISBN 978-0-842-50101-9.
  34. ↑ Mapes, Jeff (July 20, 2014). "Republican Vic Atiyeh, who guided Oregon through economic upheaval, dies at 91". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
  35. ↑ Lillie, Mitch (January 9, 2013). "The Portland Beard". Willamette Week. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Richard "Dick" Bogle (1930–2010)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. November 15, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Kathryn Hall Bogle (1906–2003)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  38. ↑ Duin, Steve (April 24, 2008). "Once upon a time at WaHi". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on June 8, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  39. ↑ Boule, Margie (July 29, 2001). "If The Afterlife Has Rules, Leah Hing's Breaking Them". The Oregonian.
  40. ↑ "28 Jul 1912, Page 41 – The Oregon Daily Journal at". Newspapers.com. July 28, 1912. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Leading Teams in State Tournament to be Evenly Matched," Oregon Statesman, vol. 78, no. 303 (March 5, 1929), p. 8.
  42. ↑ Oliver, Gordon (May 9, 1996). "Bill Naito, 1925–1996: Portland loses a civic treasure". The Oregonian, p. A14.
  43. ↑ "The Nobel Peace Prize 1962". NobelPrize.org.
  44. ↑ Friedman, Ralph (September 6, 1962). "Nobel prize winner finally receives high school diploma". Index-Journal. Greenwood, SC. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ "Architect Richard Sundeleaf dies". The Oregonian. March 11, 1987. p. C8.
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