Washington School — Niles, Ohio

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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.

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Tour the Inside of Washington School

Tour the Basement of Washington School

Tour the Demolition of Washington School


Aerial view of Washington School
Aerial View Of The East Side Junior High School Known As Washington.

Washington School, 1927.

Washington School, 1927.

Front view of Washington School
Front view of Washington School. S11.128

New Schools Planned for Niles.
Not in 2013, not in 1956, but in 1923, the Niles City School Board discusses the need for a new construction of school buildings.

“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.

Personal 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

 

Tour Washington School — One Last Time.
The sign on the top of the building clearly states “Washington Junior High School 1924”. Other words on the building are: “Industry”, “Liberty”, “Morality” and “Education”. The plaque at the very top center is of George Washington’s likeness.
Washington School on Hartzell Avenue is a beautiful building. There is a cafeteria, auditorium, gym, along with many classrooms in the three floors along with a huge basement and a furnace room.

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.
So this leads us back to Washington School. It too will soon be razed. So we’ll take one last look around.

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.
The steps to next floor are built of salt and pepper granite. Now they are well worn from all the foot traffic they have had through the years. So for 89 years, Washington School served the community well and it holds a lot of memories for each of us.

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.




Steps to Stevens Park.
Liberty
Liberty Motto

Morality Motto

Front of Washington School
Front of Washington School.

Washington Junior High School

Lower cafeteria entrance of Washington School
Lower cafeteria entrance.

Back auditorium fire escape.

 
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