Campbell Union Grammar School main entrance in 1933
After the formation of Campbell Union School District in 1921,[2] voters approved a $155,000 bond issue to build the district's first grammar school.[3][4] The school's cornerstone was laid on June 8, 1922,[5] and Campbell Union Grammar School was completed later that year[4] under the supervision of architect William H. Weeks[4][6][7][8] as the only grammar school in the district until 1946.[9][10] Classes began on February 5, 1923, and the school was formally dedicated on April 6, 1923.[11] The initial enrollment was 510 students.[12]
Although the school's ground plan was originally in the shape of an E, additions in June 1926 and March 1929 completed the enclosure of the courtyard.[11][13] A sequoia gigantea was planted in February 1932 and reached a height of 60 feet (18m) by the 1970s.[13][14]
In 1964, the grammar school closed and students were relocated to individual neighborhood schools.[10][11] The school building became a temporary location for West Valley Junior College in September 1964[11][15][16] and was used by the West Valley–Mission Community College District until 1976.[10] A 1978 report found that the building was structurally safe,[17] though it was vacant between 1976 and 1979.[10][11] In 1979, the property was sold to private developers and was converted into office space, though much of the original exterior was kept.[11]
The cornice above the main entranceThe arches of one of the arcades
Considered by W. H. Weeks himself to be one of his best designs,[6] Campbell Union Grammar School has a Mediterranean Revival architectural style[10][19] and was designed to fit the needs of the surrounding region, then a rural agricultural area.[4][20] The school was built with an oversized, two-story[b] auditorium directly behind the main entrance to accommodate community meetings,[20][21] and the front grounds originally acted as an open, park-like space, with the building set back from Campbell Avenue.[14][21] The design was kept simple to economize the project.[19]
The school's main entrance faces south[c] and consists of three arches flanked by coupled columns with Ioniccapitals.[13][20] The architrave originally displayed the name of the school, which was removed in 1964, and a large frieze contains decorative medallions divided into three panels that match the arches below.[13][20]
The auditorium is centrally located, with classrooms in wings surrounding a courtyard.[20] The kindergarten has a fireplace faced with Batchelder tiles.[4][14] Low seats surrounded the hearth for children to warm their hands and feet.[4]
Campbell Union Grammar School covers 38,200 square feet (3,550m2),[13] with the structural system consisting of wood frame and reinforced concrete.[10][19] The building walls have wood frames with a concrete exterior and cement plaster finish, and the arcade walls are made of reinforced concrete.[19] The red tiled roof is a combination of hipped and gable.[13][19]
Notes
↑ Occasionally referred to as Campbell Grammar School
↑ Johnson, Bob (2015). The City of Campbell(PDF). Sourisseau Academy. p.6. Retrieved August 15, 2025.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
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