Ward-Thomas Museum
Washington School — Niles, Ohio
Ward — Thomas
Museum
Home of the Niles Historical Society
503 Brown Street Niles, Ohio 44446
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Washington School was built in 1924 and demolished in 2013. It was affectionately known as “The School on the Hill” due to its location on a hill on Hartzell Avenue. Many students growing up remember sled riding down the front slope and making it across the street to continue down the other side. Click on any image to view a larger size. Tour the Inside of Washington School |
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Washington School, 1927.
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New Schools Planned for Niles. “Superintendent R.J. Kiefer states needs of schools here. A recent school survey recommended a six-room addition to the Garfield (Third Street School) is the first step in the building program. It is estimated that this addition should serve the needs of the south side until 1931. The next step in the survey recommends an East Side junior high school which should house the seventh, eighth and ninth grades living in that section of the city as well as grades one to six and substantially relieve the congestion and overflow now registered with all east side schools (Lincoln, Jefferson, Monroe and Harrison schools). Coincident with this recommendation is the suggestion of an addition to Jefferson School. This step is made imperative because of the congestion of population. Some idea of the crowded conditions may be obtained from the following facts. One portable room is now used at the Lincoln School; two portable rooms at Monroe school and two poorly lighted, and ventilated overcrowded basement rooms at the Jefferson school, and another basement room at Harrison school. In addition to this the old Central school and Grant school (Leslie Avenue School) – schools long ordered closed by the state- have been put into use, Roosevelt (Madison Avenue) is filled; the Jackson building is overcrowded; the eighth grade is housed in the high school, rooms designed for shop work are used for class rooms, and the auditorium put into use for study hours- a shortage which totals 21 rooms. With an annual increase in population of from 200 to 250 four to six additional rooms will be needed next year and the same number for the ensuing year. To meet this emergency, six to eight rooms must be added to Jefferson school and a new junior high school of 24 to 28 rooms so constructed that additional rooms may be placed as needed without destroying its symmetry. Proposed $350,000 bond issue to be submitted to the electors at the November election.” Niles Evening Register September 28,
1923. |
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Tour
Washington School — One Last Time. Many a young child has trudged up the massive cement steps, through the heavy doors, and into a classroom to start their education. In the beginning, this school served classes from 1-9 then the student went downtown to McKinley High School, (later Edison School) on Church Street for the remainder of their education. Things have changed in Niles. Neighborhood
schools, as we knew them, are a thing of the past. This year a
new high school was built just north of the old McKinley High
School which will be demolished soon. Then Lincoln School, built
in 1956, was torn down and now a new K-2 School is being built
on that site on Frederick Street. On East Margaret Street, S.
J. Bonham School, built in 1956, has been razed and a new 3,4,and5
grade school is being built. The new Middle School on Brown Street
houses all the students in classes 6,7,and 8. Remember the auditorium where all
those school plays and musical programs took place? How
many remember the gym, where you could throw the basketball and
it hit the surrounding rim of the track above, or the ball would
hit the steel beam. Remember the water fountain in the cafeteria.
It was up so high, that you had to use the step stool to get a
drink when you were small. Passing through the doors to arrive
at the cafeteria which was home to many after school functions. Washington Memories: going home for lunch, opening and smelling your crayon box for the first time, the taste of paste in a jar, finding sassafras roots in the woods, riding a bike to school, special assemblies with the ‘Science Guy’, clapping dust from erasers, Selena Coupland checking our heads with an ultra-violet lamp, finding the secret rooms above the stage, clocks with Roman numerals, school patrol boys with badges to help the younger ones across Hartzell, Church League Basketball games at night in the Gym, class recess on the big playground, riding your bike home down the ‘Ash Path’, and of course—sled riding down Washington Hill. |
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 Steps to Stevens Park. |
 Liberty Motto |
 Morality Motto |
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 Lower cafeteria entrance. |
 Back auditorium fire escape. |
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