Abandoned school in Ohio

Central High School, Columbus Ohio

Date added: June 23, 2023 Categories: Ohio School

Central High School in Columbus Ohio sits on a prime 17.87 acre site across the Scioto River from Columbus' civic center. The building site and style are directly responsive to the recommendations of the 1908 Columbus Plan.

Outstanding architectural features of Central High School include the monumental columned entrance facing the river, the sunken courtyards, classical detailing throughout, and a well-preserved interior. Interior details include original naturally-finished woodwork, narrow strip floors, slate chalkboards flanked by enclosed bookcases, and dais in classrooms; wooden display cases and decorative tiles behind drinking fountains in hallways; plaster mouldings and ornament, iron grillwork and railings, and extensive skylights. Rooms of note are the large auditorium and library.

Central High School was the first structure built along the Scioto River following the publication of a 1908 Columbus Plan. The structure is in many ways responsive to that plan. Of particular relevance, the Plan recommends that an attempt be made to visually unite the east and west banks of the river, that schools be developed in conjunction with open spaces, parks and parkways, and that new buildings be classical in spirit and simple in composition. The stone facing material and massive scale do indeed provide an anchor and important visual link between the government complex and the west banks of the riverscape.

William B. Ittner, Central High School's architect, was a major figure in innovative school building design during the early decades of the 20^th century. He served as Commissioner and Architect for School Buildings in St. Louis from 1897 to 1916, after which time he designed schools in more than 60 towns and cities throughout the Midwest, including Central High School in 1923. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Ittner received a medal from the St. Louis chapter of the AIA for his achievements in the design and construction of school buildings, including his introduction of an "open plan" for school design. This provided maximum light and ventilation for classrooms. Central High School is significant as a product of this talented architect.

In relation to the educational history in the city of Columbus, Central High School is the descendant of the original public "High School of Columbus", organized September 22, 1847. C.1911 when the school was located in the central location of Broad & Sixth-Streets, (the school's first permanent location) and after other public high schools were developing in the city, the school was informally called Central High. Officially, however, this school was titled Commerce High School, a name it kept until 1924 when the institution relocated. On September 2, 1924, 900 students reported to Central High School on Scioto Drive (now Washington Boulevard), the second permanent location for the institution and the subject of this nomination. Dr. Asa B. Lord, employed as superintendent of this school, in May, 1847, was the first superintendent of schools in the State of Ohio. He became one of the state's most famous educators.

Building Description

Central High School is a monumental Neo-Classical Revival School built in 1924 of a shallow U-shaped plan which faces the Columbus civic center across the Scioto River. Sitting on a 17.87-acre site, the building serves as an anchor and important visual link between the government complex on the east and the west banks of the riverscape.

The structure is a three-story building (plus ground floor) of masonry-bearing construction covering 243,594 square feet. Masonry walls with plain ashlar stone and granite facing are set on a poured concrete foundation. The majority of openings in the 19-bay facade have riveted steel frame multiple light windows. Entrances in the facade (east elevation) are through doors in the arms of the "U" or through a series of four fluted ionic columns detailing a central entrance. These columns are topped by an entablature with a frieze bearing the inscription "Central High School." Sunken courtyards with fountains (not operating currently) flank this entrance.

Interior details are significantly intact considering the school's activity from 1924-1982. These include: French doors with transoms, glazed decorative tiles behind drinking fountains, paneled wooden doors, curved wooden display cases and original natural woodwork in the hallways; plaster mouldings and ornament, iron grillwork and railings, and natural woodwork in select offices, large auditorium, and library; slate chalkboards flanked by enclosed wooden bookcases (built-in), narrow strip wood flooring, dais, and operable transoms over doors in classrooms; wooden stall doors, marble stalls, tile floors, and some original plumbing fixtures in bathrooms; and extensive skylights and subtle classical detailing throughout.