
'The Little White School House
drawing. PO1.1169

President William McKinley's first
grade teacher, Miss Sanford, is seen riding in this carriage
during a parade on North Main Street and Park Avenue. The Allison
Hotel, later the Antler Hotel, is in the background. ca
1910. |
Niles
High School.
The first public school, a little white frame
building, was erected after 1834 on North Main Street, on the
McKinley Memorial grounds next to the Presbyterian Church. In
this one room school house, the teacher was expected to teach
the three R's to all levels and maintain discipline.
One room school houses were also located on Chestnut
Street, Walnut Street and two more were reported on the South
Side of Niles.
In 1842, the Leslie Avenue School
was built near the northeast corner of Leslie and Linden Avenues.
This frame building was renamed Grant Street School in 1920. It
has been razed.
The three story brick and mortar
Central School Building opened in 1871. Frank Carl E. Robbins
was the first student to graduate from Cental School in 1875.
After a fire in the mid 1920's, Central School was demolished
and a public park with a band pavillion and wading pool was erected
on that site. Link to Central Park Story. |

Location of Central High School
on 1924 map. |
The
first brick school, Central School, was located on Furnace Street,
now State Street, near Church Street. The building was a three
story brick structure with arched windows and brick details on
each corner of the building. There were six teachers employed
including the principal. The road was dirt and transportation
was by horse and wagon.
The bell for the tower was cast by A. Fulton
and Sons of Pittsburgh, PA.
In 1926, Central School was demolished and in
1928 a band pavillion and wading pool was built on the site.
Link to Central Park
history. |

Front view of Central School
showing brickwork. PO1.1178
|

Construction scaffolding at Niles
High School.

Niles High School shortly after
construction was completed. Note the arch window on top floor
center. The Central School bell has not yet been placed on the
school grounds. |

Industrial arts room on the second
floor was added to the Annex.
PO1.1957

Niles High School as it appeared in 1936.
PO2.480 |

Front entranceway of the former
Niles High School that would become Edison Jr High in 1958 housing
grades 7-9.
The front portico is now featured
inside the new Middle School on Brown Street that was built
in 2003. PO3.38
|

Open Air Playground built in 1921 |
New Classrooms
for Niles High School.
The open air playground was built to provide play/exercise
spacefor the elementary school children protected from the environment.
Just four years after the Niles High School opened in 1917, this
area would have brick walls and two floors to accomodate new technical
classes.
The columns and roof would become a part of the
new Annex. A long covered concourse would be added along the outside
wall on the west side of the building to provide access to the
new classrooms. Steps provided access to the lower level areas.
A cafeteria and open space for for lunch tables and gym classes
would laterbe added.
“Teams are at work excavating for the foundation
which is soon to be laid beneath the open air playground, transforming
the institution into a school for vocational training. The dirt
being hauled from the structure is being used for filling at the
new Madison Avenue School.”
Niles Daily News May 17, 1921 |

Row 1. Louis Tauro, Sietz, Jim Chiarmonte, Sam
Biviano, Soda
Row 2 .Pete Dunco, Phil Ragazzo, Sam Infante, Guy Churazzi, Bill
Bender, Bill Litvin, Bob Slick, Cornell LePore, Lew Smith Coach
Row .3 Bill Jones, Muche, Jack Sanyer, Dean Rees, Joe Driscoll,
Royce McCormick, John Madden
Row 4. Sam Matteo, Steve Halleck, Joe Schink, Joe McCormick,
John Kosance, Joe Tricomi.
Row 5. Palmer Scarnecchia, Pete McMurray, Francis Scarnecchia,
Chick Waters, John Baer, John Lewis, Alex Yuhasz. PO11.287 |

The Junior class of 1928 taken
in front
of the old Niles High School. PO2.495
|

Niles School band 1941 all in uniform.
Ruth Fisher, first front row; Mary Whitney,
last front row. James Bill Holmes, marked on second row.
PO11.180 |