Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Old Provo High School


I came across a blog a while back that photoshopped photos of Russian cities with the same location as it appeared during World War II.  I loved the idea and wanted to incorporate it into my blog.  I am going to start each of my blogs with a photo in the same style.  Above a picture of the old Provo High School, which is the currently location of the Provo City Hall.

On the corner of 300 West and 100 South, where the fire station is located, there is a plaque commemorating the old high school.  It reads:

"August 20, 1812, the Board of Education agreed 'that a high school be established in Provo city.'  The so-called high school began with 'one year' then 'two years' and then more until it became a four-year school.  At the close of the school year of 1920-21, Provo graduated students from the public high school for the first time in the city's history.  A high school yearbook of 1918 lists the names of eight students who were in the eleventh year.  The ten-year period, following the close of World War I, was a time when the high school grew rapidly.  In the spring of 1924, there were 65 graduating students, and at the close of the school year of 1924-25, one hundred-sixteen pupils graduated.  By 1956 more than 1,000 students attended school at Provo High School.  The last graduating class of 1956 had 336 students.  More than thirty-five class groups emerged into life from this edifice."

The high school was eventually moved to the corner of University Ave and Bulldog.  After the school was moved, the original building was demolished and replaced with the Provo City Hall, which includes the main police and fire station.  Below are pictures of what the school looked like after construction and what it currently looks like.

Photo courtesy of Brigham Young University, Lee Library, L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Photo courtesy of Brigham Young University, Lee Library, L. Tom Perry Special Collections

LOST IN HISTORY:  There is only one building from the original high school that still stands.  What is this building?  As a hint, it is located on the corner of 300 West and 100 South and two pictures of it are below (if you want to figure it out yourself, do not look too closely at the second photo, where the name of the building can be found).


5 comments:

  1. Provo LDS Seminary, possibly? Thanks for the hint!

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  2. I believe your picture that blends the old and new is incorrect. City hall is on center st. The picture of the old high school must be on 100 s because of the orientation of the sun. The south side of center st doesnt get much sun and if it did the shadows would be the other direction. Also you stated that the location of 100 s not center st. it would make more sense, also, to have the high school facing the seminary. Not for the seminary to be behind the high school. Just some thoughts...

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  3. Very observant LEX. I think you are right. I guess I'll have to go back and redo that photo. Thanks for catching that

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  4. I am an architect in Salt Lake and I very much enjoyed you sharing this.

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  5. Thank you for your efforts. Please note that the quote from the historical marker has a typo in the first line. It should read 1912 instead of 1812.

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