Central High School (Cleveland, Ohio)

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Central High School was a public high school in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1846 and merged with East Technical High School in 1952. It had multiple locations during its existence.

Contents

1940 CHS building, boarded up since 2013 Cleveland, Central, 2018 - Central High School, Central, Cleveland, OH (28807013057).jpg
1940 CHS building, boarded up since 2013

History

Home of Central High from 1878 to 1940 Central High School (Cleveland).jpg
Home of Central High from 1878 to 1940

Central High School was established in 1846 as the first high school in Cleveland and the first free public high school west of the Alleghenies. Initially, classes were held in the basement of the Universalist church on Prospect Avenue. After Ohio City was annexed to Cleveland, West High School was established as a division of the school since state law allowed only one public high school in Cleveland. [1]

Central High School moved to its own building in 1856, a brick and stone building that stood at the southwest corner of what is now East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. [2] This was in use until 1878, when a larger, gothic style building, featuring a large clock tower donated by alumna Laura Spelman Rockefeller, opened at 2201 East 55th Street. This building served as the home of CHS until 1940, when a new building opened. The 1878 structure continued in use as a junior high until it was razed in 1952 and an elementary school, George Washington Carver Elementary School, was built on the site. [3]


In December of 1900, the Cleveland chapter of Gamma Sigma Fraternity was organized at Central High School. The chapter was first projected to start at the end of 1899. The contention of the faculty was that the fraternity should have faculty members be represented. The boys refused to permit this so the idea was dropped for a short time. Opposition was dropped by making the fraternity an interscholastic one, where students of all Cleveland high schools being eligible to join. 'Mu' chapter was the 11th chartered chapter since Gamma Sigma first formed in October of 1869 at The Brockport Normal School in Brockport New York.


The final home of Central High School was built in 1940, at 2225 East 40th Street. This building served as the home of CHS until 1952, when the school was merged with East Technical High School. [4] Following the merger the 1940 CHS building remained in use for many years as Stokes Elementary School, named for Louis and Carl Stokes. It closed in 2013 as part of a district reorganization plan. [5] As of 2023, however, the 1940 CHS building still stands, though is vacant.

Notable teachers

Alumni

Langston Hughes at Central High Langston Hughes high school 1919 or 1920.jpg
Langston Hughes at Central High

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