I’m used to seeing old photographs of schools when they were new and pristine, set against the barren terrain that is indicative of fresh construction. And as my recent tour of Newark showed, it makes for an interesting contrast with contemporary images, where the landscape is overgrown and the school itself may be in various stages of decay. But what about the first stages of life?
A great find I made was a series of construction photographs taken of Columbia High School over a roughly three-year period, from 1925 until 1927 when it was completed. Except for the vintage cars, machinery and external scaffolding, it looks like any typical construction site; mud, wood, concrete and workers standing around. The photos were probably intended for utilitarian insurance record-keeping purposes, but today offer a rare look at the creation of a school building.
The following photographs are courtesy of the Newark Public Library.
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This first photograph is merging of two shots taken at the same time in March, 1925 from the roof of the Fielding School, a grade school that had been built in the 1910s. The view shows the plot of CHS, encompassing the front entrance on Parker Avenue all the way to the area of the athletic field. A number of the houses in the distance still exist.
May 5th, 1926, we see a steam shovel and workers digging the foundations. In the background is the Fielding School (now the South Orange and Maplewood Board of Education Offices).
June 19, 1926, a cornerstone laying ceremony was held. James Betelle was in attendance, who, according to the program, was honored with the “Accceptance of Stone”. This rendering of CHS is a rare look at the entire front facade in plan view. This program is part of CHS’s archives.
By August, the footings are down and windows are being framed with their limestone surrounds. Note the pool being built in the middle.
January, 1927. The framing for the pitched roof and iconic central tower are taking shape. The house positioned awkwardly in front of the building remained there throughout construction. My guess is it was used as an command center for the contractors.
February 3, 1927. It’s a month later, and the eastern elevation is taking real shape. The cloistered row of windows on the first floor were the industrial shops (finished view). They have sadly since been cut away for one of the modern additions.
March 16, 1927, and the front facade is taking shape, but the tower is yet to rise above the roofline.
July, 1927, and the exterior is mostly complete, save for the missing clockworks and windows of the tower. By the following Fall, CHS was opened for classes.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Rob Dakelman // Sep 10, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Fascinating… wish I had seen these and the other pics of the schools while I was attending in the 70’s. I’ve never been in the tower. Is it possible to arrange a tour of it?
2 Steve Weintraub // Sep 10, 2006 at 3:26 pm
I’m hoping to do so, but that would be attached to me research. I’m not sure if they would do it for those simply curious. Couldn’t hurt to try, though!
3 Bill Robinson // Nov 26, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I had homeroom in the tower. Nothing much to see. Great research. I will share with my old HS buddies.
Bill R
CHS class of 1963
4 Mary Bryan // May 29, 2009 at 10:59 pm
This is really interesting to look at! I graduated in 1973. I believe I had a great education. Thank you to those that had the foresight to build this awesome high school.
5 Jack Wagner // May 31, 2009 at 11:10 am
I graduated in 1970 and had no idea how well I was prepared for college by the education I got at CHS. I wrote a paper at Columbia about wanted to work for IBM. Last year I retired from 34 years of working at IBM. Columbia was outstanding.
6 Pauli Carnes // Jun 30, 2010 at 9:24 am
I also graduated in ‘63 and had homeroom in the tower my senior year. There was an ugly 1970 addition at the back of the building that didn’t affect the appearance from Parker Avenue, but now there is a modern wing right on Parker that is a real abomination. I was trying to find a photo of this disaster on the internet to show someone, but could not. I guess they are rightfully embarrassed at what they did to a grand old building.
7 Pauli Carnes // Jul 1, 2010 at 10:19 am
My mistake; the modern addition on the back of the building was there when I was there in the early 60s, so it wasn’t a 1970 addition. That’s what I get for writing before drinking my morning coffee!
8 Steve Weintraub // Jul 1, 2010 at 10:26 am
Paul – That rear addition is actually the first the building received, in the early 50s. It was designed by firm of Krahmer & Behee. Both gentlemen had worked for Guilbert & Betelle.
As additions go, it’s not the worst; the materials and finish are in keeping with the original structure, and in fact Betelle had designed the rear of the building to be extended (not precisely as had been done, however).
As for the later 60-70s additions, yeah, they are abominations. Here’s a shot showing how D-Wing was unceremoniously slammed into the original facade: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweintraub/3070761971/
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