Vacant Former School Building in TX

Abilene High School, Abilene Texas

Date added: July 25, 2024

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Texas
Gothic Revival
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The 1923 Abilene High School was designed by prominent regional architect David S. Castle. Sited prominently along an important transportation route, the three-story, monumental main building signaled to onlookers that Abilene was committed to providing a quality education to its young citizens.

Early Public Education Efforts in Abilene

Abilene is perhaps best known in educational circles for its private, church-affiliated colleges, the city's public school system has supervised and instructed local youths since the town's founding in 1881. Education was considered such a priority that town founders set aside property for a school when the town was founded. Classes originally convened in a tent, but were later held in a two-story frame structure on N. 3^rd Street. The city's growth soon required opening another school on the city's south side.

On January 2^nd, 1883, Abilene was formally incorporated by its citizens who voted to levy taxes for schools and other necessary municipal developments. The newly acquired funding allowed the construction of several schools which opened in quick succession. In 1886, there were 457 students and school buildings were seriously overcrowded. In 1887, the City rented an old warehouse that had formerly been used to store beer and ice and created their first school that housed only high school grades. The building, located at S. 1^st and Sycamore Street, was also called the "Beer and Ice Seminary" since it previously had warehoused those goods. In 1888, six students graduated from this Abilene High School, making them the first graduating class from Abilene.

In 1889, the City built its first permanent high school building. Located at S. 1^st and Peach Streets-in roughly the same location where the Abilene High School building was eventually built-it cost $10,000 to construct. Eventually, however, the high school outgrew its space, and in 1909, a new red brick high school was built just south of the old one, at S. 3^rd and Peach Street (roughly where the girls' gymnasium now sits) for $40,000. The 1889 high school building became Central Ward Elementary, a grade school for children who lived in the central part of the city. (This building was demolished in 1924 as the new high school was completed.)

Rapid Growth in Abilene and the School System

Abilene was established in 1881 along the newly laid Texas and Pacific railroad, and was formally incorporated two years later. Shortly after incorporation, citizens voted to move the county seat from nearby Buffalo Gap to Abilene, and the city steadily began to grow as a supply and shipping center for the increasing number of area ranchers and farmers. By the early 1900s, cotton cultivation was the dominant industry, and Abilene had established itself as the largest and most important city in the county. Aside from the first few years of its founding, growth was gradual, but steady.

Cotton and other area agricultural products commanded high prices during and immediately after World War I, boosting the local economy. That agricultural prosperity, the wealth generated by the oil boom in nearby counties, and the city's location along primary cross-country transportation routes all combined to create a decade of explosive population and construction growth for the city. From 1920 to 1930, Abilene's population more than doubled, from 10,274 to 23,175. Construction of public buildings, commercial buildings, and residences set records. No other period in Abilene's history can match it.

School overcrowding, however, was a byproduct of this strong growth. School enrollment increased from 2,435 in 1920 to 5,586 in 1930. (High school enrollment alone went from 574 to 1709 in the same period.) The rapidly increasing enrollment was the most pressing issue of Superintendent Roland D. Green's twenty year tenure; his appointment in 1917 marks the beginning of a pivotal era in Abilene's public education program. His legacy is best remembered by the system's aggressive building program of the 1920s, which resulted in the construction of nine new school buildings, all but one of which David S. Castle designed.

The 1923 Abilene High School

The district completed several new elementary schools before turning its attention to building a large new high school to replace the smaller, aging 1909 building. Work began on the new high school in 1923, but while construction was underway, a fire gutted the 1909 high school, forcing school officials to utilize the 1923 building before its completion. This decision delayed construction efforts and work continued at a slower than anticipated pace. The board formally accepted the new high school on April 11^th, 1924. Total cost was $186,543. The new high school featured a number of amenities thought to be important for modern school buildings of the time-fire-proof construction, ample windows for ventilation and natural light, and spaces designed for a variety of learning activities such as laboratories, study halls, library, and theater. This monumental school building reflects the importance Abilene placed on education.

Meanwhile, the fire-damaged 1909 building was repaired and re-opened as the Central Ward Elementary School. (The 1889 building which had been serving as Central Ward was demolished in 1924 as the new high school was completed.) The 1909 building and the 1923 building stood together on the property for more than forty years until the 1909 building was finally razed in 1970, making room for the girls' gymnasium.

The heightened level of activity on the high school grounds, along with the unexpected cost of the fire, may explain why the new high school received numerous additions so soon after original construction. In 1924, a $100,000 bond was issued for five additional rooms and some additional remodeling. In 1927 the library wing was added to Abilene High School at a cost of $42,216. In 1928 an auditorium was added to Abilene High School at a cost of $103,620. In 1929 the Abilene High School campus expanded further with the construction of the Eagle's Nest gymnasium. It was completed at a cost of $68,155. The band hall wing was added in 1941, and a separate shop class building was built in 1950, illustrating the evolution of school curricula over the years.

By the mid-1950s, Abilene was once again ready for a new and modern high school. In 1955, the new facility was built at N. 6^th and Mockingbird Street-the first high school built anywhere other than the S. 1^st and Peach Street location. The 1923 high school building was repurposed and renamed Lincoln Junior High School in 1955. Over the next several decades, the campus buildings received minor repairs and modifications to the roofs, windows, and lighting systems. Air conditioning was added in the mid-1970s, resulting in dropped ceilings throughout most of the main building. The metal shields were added to the windows at this time as well. Once the 1909 building was razed, a girls' gymnasium took its place on the southeastern portion of the property in 1975. Six tennis courts were added to the campus 2 years later.

Perhaps the biggest change to happen at the Lincoln Junior High School, however, occurred in 1969 when Abilene officially integrated its schools. Prior to this historic event, the campus served whites only. Abilene had provided for the education of its small African American population as early as 1890, when a small school was built in the 200 block of Plum Street. Other facilities were provided throughout the years (including a brand new high school in 1952), but were always separate from the white student campuses. An "Americanization" elementary school for Hispanic children opened in the 1920s, but it appears that Hispanic children were integrated into the school system much earlier than African Americans.

The Abilene Independent School District (AISD) implemented the "middle school concept" beginning with the 1985-1986 school year, and Lincoln Junior High became Lincoln Middle School. Funds became available for modernization efforts to the campus. These projects included upgrading the ventilation, the restrooms, and basketball goals in the Eagle's Nest gymnasium. The gymnasium's historic windows were removed and replaced with the current ones.

Thousands of students have been educated within the walls of Abilene High School/Lincoln Junior High/Lincoln Middle School, making it an integral part of the community. Students, faculty, and staff created a holiday program in 1995 called "Light Up Lincoln." The school was decorated with white Christmas lights, as well as a Christmas tree and other festive decorations. The community felt pride in their historic building and wanted to enhance its beauty for the public. This clearly indicates how important Abilene High School is to the community, decades after its construction. It continues to be an icon in the Abilene community.

In 2007, AISD consolidated six middle schools into four due to a diminished student population. Both Lincoln and Franklin Middle schools were chosen for closure as they were the oldest buildings. Since that decision Franklin Middle School has been demolished. As of February 2012, Lincoln Middle School has dodged the wrecking ball, but it is for sale. Phase I of an environmental assessment, paid for by an EPA grant, was just completed. It indicates that the building is in reasonably good condition, relative to asbestos or any other toxic contaminants. The school district is hoping for a buyer soon.

Abilene High School is a significant local example of Late Gothic Revival style as used in educational facilities in the first several decades of the twentieth century. Although applied to a variety of building types (especially churches), its use on school buildings became so popular that it is known as "Collegiate Gothic." In the United States, prestigious universities and colleges such as Princeton and Yale commissioned Late Gothic Revival buildings that were reminiscent of the venerable and iconic British universities such as those at Oxford and Cambridge. The trend to emulate these highly regarded institutions quickly spread throughout the country as the designs began to be published more widely. Examples are more numerous in the northeast, but can be found in communities, especially large urban centers across the United States. However, according to architectural historian Jay C. Henry (Architecture in Texas, 1895-1945), there are relatively few examples in Texas.

Abilene High School is a good illustration of how this high style of architecture was interpreted at a local level. The architect responsible for its design is David Sharon Castle, one of the most prominent and prolific architects working in west Texas during the first half of the twentieth century.

Castle was born on February 13^th, 1884, in Constantine, Michigan. He moved from his childhood home at the age of fifteen to pursue an engineering degree in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the Armour Institute (currently the Illinois Institute of Technology) and moved to Texas in 1910, where he worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone. He joined the Texas Company (Texaco) Engineering Department in 1911 and two years later became associated with Fort Worth architect M.L. Waller who designed many institutional buildings throughout the state. While employed by M.L. Waller, Castle moved to Abilene to open a branch office and oversee construction of the Oldham Building (razed) at N. 1^st and Cypress streets.

In 1914, Castle opened his own firm and began securing many important commissions throughout the west Texas region. A few of his most notable designs in Abilene include residences for many of Abilene's most prominent citizens, the Hilton Hotel, the Wooten Hotel, the Paramount Theater, and the Federal Building. He also designed the Radford grocery chain wholesale buildings and more than 20 West Texas Utilities Company buildings throughout the region. Other important commissions included the Petroleum Building and the Scarborough Building in Midland, the Burch Hotel in Breckenridge, the Settles Hotel in Big Spring, and courthouses for eight west Texas counties. His educational buildings include several at each of the campuses of McMurry University, Hardin-Simmons University, and Abilene Christian University, in addition to the eight Abilene public school buildings he designed in the 1920s. A prolific architect, David S. Castle & Company designed virtually every major building in Abilene from the late 1910s through the 1950s.

Castle paired with San Antonio-based builders Walsh and Burney on the Abilene High School. Walsh and Burney were responsible for the construction of at least three of Abilene's ward schools in the 1920s, as well as education buildings for the State School for the Blind in Austin, McMurray University in Abilene, and Texas A&M University in College Station. The firm was also awarded contracts for the Robert E. Lee Hotel in Laredo, a jail in Corsicana, state office buildings in Austin, the American Legion Memorial Sanitarium in Kerrville, and the Cortez Hotel in Weslaco among many others. Walsh and Burney constructed several of Castle's designs, including the Alexander building in Abilene and the Stephens County Courthouse in Breckenridge.

Building Description

The 1923 Abilene High School sits proudly at S. 1^st Street and Peach Street, along a segment of the historic Bankhead Highway, in the heart of Abilene, Taylor County, Texas. The large, rectangular city block has been home to educational facilities since the late nineteenth century. The property includes the entire present campus, consisting of the main building (1923 and later additions), the Eagle's Nest gymnasium (1929), a shop class building (1950), and a second gymnasium (1975). Tennis courts and an HVAC equipment enclosure are also part of the complex. The campus served as a high school until 1955, then as a junior high, and finally as a middle school. Most recently known as Lincoln Middle School, the campus has been vacant since 2007 and is presently for sale.

Construction on the main building began in 1923. It is an imposing three-story, stone-accented, reinforced concrete and brick building in the Late Gothic Revival style. Designed by architect David S. Castle, noteworthy features include a crenelated parapet roofline, Gothic arched entryways, carved stone finials, and statuary grotesques. Three important additions were made to the rear of the building in 1927, 1928, and 1941 giving the building its current irregular footprint. The Eagle's Nest gymnasium, also made of brick, shares some of the same Late Gothic Revival detailing, including the crenelated parapet roofline and carved stone accents. The brick shop class building and the concrete girls' gymnasium are utilitarian in style and plan and are free of ornament.

Located near the heart of downtown Abilene at a key intersection of two major streets, the 1923 Abilene High School is a splendid reminder of the city's rich history. Situated along Interstate Highway 20 Business Route (also known as S. 1^st Street), on the edge of a residential area, the property encompasses approximately seven acres. Constructed in 1923, the grandeur and monumental size of the Abilene High School main building makes an impressive landmark. The brick, concrete, and carved limestone building exemplifies the Late Gothic Revival style of architecture, embellished with design details of the Gothic period reminiscent of the 15 century castles and cathedrals of Europe. As the city's premier public school from 1923 to 2007, it has served the community and all those who entered its doors with undying dedication to duty, as proclaimed by the lioness grotesques that staunchly guard the entrance.

There are four separate buildings on the property. The main building (1923 and with subsequent additions), the Eagle's Nest gymnasium (1929), the shop class building (1950), and the girls' gymnasium (1975).

The primary facade of the three-story main building was built to parallel S. 1^st Street and all additions were constructed at the rear. The main building houses the spaces once used as classrooms, administrative offices, a kitchen, a cafeteria, laboratories, a library, an auditorium, a band hall, a machine shop, and a small basement for mechanical systems. Land to the west was left open for practice fields and outdoor activities. The Eagle's Nest gymnasium stands south and east of the main building. Its primary facade faces east towards Peach Street. Also south of the main building, but west of the Eagle's Nest gymnasium, is the shop class building. The girls' gymnasium is located directly south of the Eagle's Nest, and the tennis courts lie to the west of the girls' gymnasium in the southwest corner of the property. With the exception of the tennis courts, all buildings and structures are located on the eastern half of the block, leaving most of the western half as an open, grassy field. Once used as practice fields for a variety of sports and other recreational activities, this field is now home to a lone backstop for baseball practice.

A sidewalk frames the entire block, and other sidewalks connect the various buildings to one another. A paved driveway leads from S. 1^st Street, along the west perimeter of the main building, to a small parking lot located between the shop class building and the tennis courts. An additional driveway connects to this one and exits on Peach Street. This wide driveway parallels the front of the main building and incorporates parking spaces for teachers, staff, and visitors. It was constructed in 1993. A concrete path leads from the sidewalk on S. 1 Street to the main entrance where two decorative wrought iron lamp posts once flanked the front steps. Today, large crepe myrtle bushes along the path serve as a gateway. A grassy front lawn with mature trees screens the front parking lot. Against the exterior wall of the building, along the north facade, thick shrubs soften the transition from the brick and concrete exterior to the ground. Originally, however, there was little landscaping. The historic photos show a grassy lawn and sparse shrubbery along the front of the building. A 1926 yearbook photo shows a corner of what appears to be a concrete-edged pond. It appeared again in an aerial photo taken in 1940. It seems that the pond was filled in during the 1950s.

The Texas & Pacific Railroad runs parallel to S. 1^st Street, which is also U.S. Highway 80 (and now Business I-20), but it was once designated as part of the Bankhead Highway. The route in the immediate vicinity of the property was lined with residences in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. By 1930, many of the residences had been replaced by filling stations, auto repair shops, and restaurants. The route is now primarily lined by commercial buildings, and while the neighborhood to the south remains mostly residential, there is some mixed commercial use as well. Abilene High School is located just a few blocks west and south of the city's historic commercial district. The once-busy T&P passenger depot is located just five blocks east.

Impressive size and architecture make Abilene High School one of architect David Castle's most enduring architectural landmarks. The elegant three-story building is enhanced with massive carved limestone arches that grace the front and side entrances, dwarfing visitors. Carved from stone, growling lioness grotesques hold shields and peer from the roof, acting as sentries. Beneath these guardians, in carved low relief, a scowling owl perches on an open book and flanked by flaming torches, perhaps symbolizing that knowledge will light our way in the world.

The three-story, sand-colored brick building's expansive irregular footprint encompasses 80,284 square feet, housing offices, classrooms, laboratories, a band hall, a cafeteria, a library, and a grand auditorium. Abilene High School's initial main building was rectangular in plan, but as funds became available, additional wings were constructed, and the vision for the completed school slowly became a reality. All of the wings and additions to the building are united by a continuous stone cornice that runs along the top of the crenelated parapet wall. A second stone cornice traverses the exterior wall above the third-floor windows and continues around the corners to wrap the entire building. A third linear element is a projecting stone stringcourse molding that travels between the first- and second-story windows and changes elevation upward to outline the entrances as it continues around the rest of the building. A continuous pattern of vertical windows enwraps the entire structure. This ribbon of windows enhances the building's elegance and emphasizes verticality as they span upward almost floor-to-ceiling in height. Each window is adorned with a stone hood and windowsill. Presently, large metal shields cover the window openings. The school district installed these at the same time that they added air conditioning in 1975 as a way to reduce energy costs. However, in all but a few instances, the original wood windows are still intact under the covers.

The north elevation, facing S. 1^st Street, features the main entrance and is divided into two major bays created by the elaborate entrance and the substantial east and west corners. At both the east and west corners of the front facade are sections of brick wall laid in the English Bond masonry pattern. These two massive walls, like pylons, project outward from the main wall approximately four feet and appear to hold the entire structure in place. The English Bond tapestry pattern of brick fills a center area and gives emphasis to the massive structures. The prominent wall on the east corner also provides a place for the school's name (currently Lincoln Middle School). At the center of each brick corner flank or pylon, at the very top, sits a bowl-shaped corbel at the level of the lower cornice and an inverted corbel above, forming a Gothic statuary niche. The niches rise a substantial distance above the parapet wall. The stone cornice runs along the top of the parapet wall, behind the Gothic niches, connecting the east and west corners and dropping periodically to continue the repeated indentions, then fuses itself into the ornate stone parapet above the entrance. The second stone cornice, positioned above the third-story windows, continues from the east, establishing the lower sill of the decorative stone parapet. The narrow stringcourse molding between the first- and second-story windows continues on its path around the building. Both the east and west bays have three sets of four wood sash windows on all three levels, creating symmetry. The design of all the windows on this elevation is "tall and narrow" with nine small panes above a center muntin and nine small panes below. The massive corner brick pylons flank the two bays and showcase the imposing entrance. Viewed from S. 1^st Street, the image of Abilene High School is that of a stalwart fortress.

Sitting between the east and west bays is the central bay, which contains the main entrance. Protruding brick pilasters rise three stories, becoming stone bases for the lioness statues atop the entry. Limestone quoins wrap the corners of the pilasters at the base, as the stone transitions into cheeks on either side of the steps, including large vases on flat pedestals to define the entrance. (Originally the flat plinths adjacent to the steps supported a cast iron light post on each side.) The pilasters flank a massive, carved limestone arch that creates a recessed, shallow entry in front of the door. Currently, aluminum framed glass doors, sidelights, and transom make up the entry. Originally, however, the double set of doors were a solid oak panel topped by nine panes of glass framed in oak. The arched transom above the main front door had sixteen panes of glass fit into the arch. There were five-paned sidelights on either side of the doors. An ornate stone carving incorporates quatrefoils with stylized roses confined to their corners above the arch. Tall, narrow windows at the second and third stories rise above the entry toward the parapet wall in a set of three. The windows at the second level, just above the front door, have been replaced with a set of metal louvers, presumably when the modern HVAC system was installed. A limestone cornice marks the top of the third-story from which the towering carved stone parapet ascends, cloistered between stone-topped pilasters. Carved in low relief, the owl sits over the book of knowledge, wings spread. At the top of the stone pilasters sit the lionesses perched on their haunches holding shields.

The east elevation has two distinct bays created by the entrance. The design of all the original windows on this elevation is "tall and narrow" with nine small panes above a center muntin and nine small panes below. On the south end bay, at all three levels, there are three sets of four wood sash windows, and one set of five wood sash windows. All of the windows have stone hoods above and stone windowsills below. The north end bay is shorter and has one set of five wood sash windows at all three levels. Like on the rest of the building, the windows on the entire building are currently blocked by metal covers that expose only three lower panes.

The dividing element between the south and north bays is the entrance itself, which is offset to the north. Similar to the main entry, but smaller in scale, the recessed east entry is framed by a graceful, carved limestone Tudor arch. The original oak framed doors and arched transom have been replaced with aluminum framed ones. Unlike the main entry, this secondary entrance did not have sidelights. Dentil style molding and stylized roses fill the space in quatrefoils above the arch. Limestone quoins at the outer edge of the arches transition into the brick.

The exterior wall of the east wing that faces south towards the gymnasium is windowless. It is solid brick incorporating an English Bond pattern of brick with alternative courses of headers and stretchers. This approximately 13' x 20' area is positioned in the center of the wall creating a decorative uniform tapestry pattern that spans two stories upward and is defined by a stone hood above and stone sill below. The stone cornice, bearing an embattlement pattern with intermittent indentations, caps the top of the parapet wall that wraps the corner from the east face. The stone cornice that runs above the third-story windows continues around the corner, as does the stone stringcourse molding between the first- and second-story windows on the east facade.

The west facing facade of the west wing is narrow in width and houses the third entrance and features one bay with one set of five wood sash windows at all three levels. The design of all the windows on this elevation is "tall and narrow" with nine panes above a center muntin and nine panes below. The same stone cornices and stringcourses are in place to unite all facades of the building. The arched west entrance is identical to the east entryway and is offset to the south.

The rear wing (which consists of the 1928 auditorium and the 1941 machine shop additions) connects in the back center of the main structure, projecting south towards S. 34 Street. Viewed from an aerial perspective it forms a T with the main building. The opposite exterior walls face east and west and are enriched with the series of tall windows that, along with the two stone cornices and the stone stringcourse, tie the structures together. The east and west facades of this wing each have six bays created by five brick pilasters. The west facing exterior wall is described as follows: bay one, on the north end, has a set of four wood sash windows at all three levels; bay two has five wood sash windows on the first floor, two small wood sash windows on the second floor, and three wood sash windows on the third floor; bay three has one set of wood sash windows with divided panes that extends from the second to the third floor and four wood sash windows on the first floor; bay four has a set of wood sash windows with divided lights that extends from the second to the third floor and has a set of four wood sash windows on the first floor; bay six has one set of wood sash windows that extend from the second to the third floor. The 1941 addition abuts the west exterior wall of the auditorium stage. It was initially designed to be a small auditorium with its own stage, connected directly to the main auditorium at the second level. The first floor was a machine shop and the third floor was home to the cooking lab. Its purpose has changed over the years, serving as the band hall in recent times. The east auditorium wall has four bays, defined by five brick pilasters. Each bay has a set of three wood sash windows that extend from the second to the third floor and the first floor has one set of four wood sash windows. The south wall of the auditorium is solid brick divided by two brick pilasters on either side of the center, adding interest to an otherwise blank wall.

Just inside the primary entry, a grand stairway beckons, setting a path to the second floor and the main vestibule. At the top of the 18" step, gracing the main hallway, are three Tudor arches that mimic the outside entrance and open into a foyer in front of the auditorium. The center arch measures 108" from the floor to the top and is flanked by smaller arches on either side. This vestibule area represents the center from which hallways extend to the south, east, and west.

The east and west hallways each have six doors opening into classrooms and administrative offices. Classroom doors are designed with three solid oak panels with a fourth glass pane at the top and sport solid brass hardware. There are hinged transom windows over the doors. Metal lockers line each side of the hallway; over them, between the classroom doors, are transom windows which bring light and ventilation into each classroom. Currently, dropped ceilings cover a substantial part of the transoms. The west hallway has an elevator that was installed in 1994 or 1995. Floors are lively terrazzo-black and gray in an ivory base color. Walls are plaster, which is detaching in places due to moisture. There are two trophy display cases on each side of the main foyer-entrance. The surrounding woodwork casements repeat the Tudor arch with additional molding at the top.

To the south is the auditorium with its splendid array of three sets of double doors constructed of solid oak with three lower wood panels and frosted glass windows above. Each set of doors has a set of four frosted glass transom windows. Once inside the auditorium there are four aisles leading to the massive stage displaying three layers of curtains, stage lights, catwalks, foot lights, and a collection of backstage crevices, stairways, and cubby holes. Solid oak molding, wainscoting, framing, stairways , doors, and floors dominate the color scheme and contrast with the decorative cast plaster molding in pastel green that frames the entire stage, arching gracefully from one side of the stage floor to the other. Looking north from the stage there are 33 rows of 12 seats in three sections separated by wide aisles, totaling over 1100 seats. Above is a recessed white plaster ceiling defined by a grid pattern of oak beams which crisscross to absorb sound. School house style lights hang above the two main aisles from their positions in the center of the open sections of the ceiling. Eight of them light the path from the entrance to the stage. Four sets of towering windows are located on both the east and west sides of the auditorium. They are currently masked with metal shields that block all but the bottom panes. The balcony is above the entrance and covers the back ten rows. It repeats the pastel green molding that delineates the front of its massive, but delicate, presence. The balcony seating has been reduced due to a need for more classroom space, but there is still room to sit or stand and view the stage clearly. An emergency exit exists on the east side.

Repeated break-ins have left the interior and exterior studded with damage and defaced with tagging. City law enforcement officers have left their mark with discharged shells from SWAT team training exercises. Disuse has left the building with that empty smell and feel.

Regardless, the main building of Abilene High School retains a high degree of integrity, particularly in terms of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The window coverings do detract from this, but they are removable, and-in all but a couple instances-the original wood windows are intact underneath them. Although the original wood entrance doors have been replaced with modern aluminum, the size and shape of the openings are unchanged, and it would be possible to install appropriate replicas. The school's integrity of setting is only somewhat compromised. When initially constructed, it stood in a decidedly residential neighborhood. Within a decade, however, residences along S. 1^st Street began to be replaced by commercial endeavors. Today, that route is primarily commercial in nature, though the neighborhood to the south is still primarily residential.

In 1929, the gymnasium-named the Eagle's Nest after the school mascot-was built just south of the main building for a total cost of $68,155. A vaulted roof covers 12,397 square feet of space for lockers, showers, offices, equipment rooms, bleachers on each side, and the gymnasium floor itself. The two-story brick building is approximately 108' wide and 118' long. During renovations made in 1992, the original wood windows were replaced with fixed metal ones.

The front facade of the building faces east. The stone cornice caps the top of the parapet wall with the pattern of intermittent indentations and wraps the top of the two brick pilasters and the carved stone Eagle's Nest decorative parapet. The stone cornice above the second-floor windows continues across the wall, tying-in the pilasters, and then turns the corner to the north facade and beyond. Windows are arranged on either side of the entrance with six on the first floor and nine on the second floor. All of the windows have metal frames and fixed sashes. They are configured with two tall panes above two short panes adorned with stone hoods and sills. The entrance is framed by two brick pilasters that rise above the parapet. Within the confines of the pilasters, three arches provide access to the vestibule, the three-sided brick ticket booth, and one set of steel double doors on either side of the booth. There are two steps up to the ticket booth which has glass windows on all three sides and is finished at the top and bottom with a stone cornice that wraps the booth. The steel doors are embellished with transoms above. The entrance is clearly marked by three brick arches reflecting the Roman design of a segmental arch, which is in the form of a segment of a semi-circle making the arch almost flat in appearance. The legs of the arches are supported by broad concrete piers. The area between the top of the arches and the bottom of the three windows above is delineated with a simple pattern of header bricks outlining a rectangular section of stretcher bricks. The steel framed windows are topped by the stone cornice above upon which the decorative parapet sits. The carved stone part of the parapet rests above the center window and features the name Abilene Eagles Nest below a low relief sculpture of an eagle with wings spread and perched on its nest. The sections on either side, above the other windows, are defined with a header-stretcher simple linear brick pattern.

The long south wall is finished at the top of the parapet with a stone cornice that has intermittent indentations to match those on the main building, as a repeat of the Gothic embattlement design theme. The first floor has seven metal framed, fixed windows with stone sills and one single door at the east corner, with a stone hood. There are three downspouts evenly spaced along the wall for roof drainage. The south wall indents about four feet before the end of the building, creating a second bay with two windows. The second-floor window is bricked in and the first-floor window has a stone hood and sill. The parapet continues on this eight foot section of wall and a stone cornice runs above the second-story window.

The north elevation is almost a mirror image of the south elevation with windows at both levels. The parapet continues as it encompasses the entire building. The north wall indents about ten feet before the end creating a second bay with two windows one on each story. The second-story window sits below the stone cornice from the east wall, and the first-floor window has a stone hood. Both windows have stone sills. The second bay of the north wall spans approximately 108'. The second floor has nine steel framed windows and the first floor has eight windows and one single steel door. The windows all have stone sills and the door has a stone hood. There are three downspouts along the length of the wall for roof drainage.

The west wall faces the east wall of the auditorium with only a few feet separating them. This wall is curved at the top matching the shape of the vaulted roof. A short brick pilaster divides the brick wall leaving space for four steel-framed windows on either side.

The gymnasium is accessed through double doors from the portico. The doors open into a narrow hallway with wings to the north and south. Doors from the hallway provide access to the bleachers on either side of the gymnasium floor. Under the bleachers are lockers and showers. A stairway at the end of the south wing leads to seating at the top of the bleachers, a place where the spectators scurried to get the best seat from which to watch the action. A metal truss system supports the roof and ceiling above the arena. Large box fans hang from the trusses and numerous flood lights protrude from the ceiling to light the space. Four basketball hoops reside above the bleachers, hanging from the truss that includes motors to allow the hoops to be retracted. A stationary hoop hangs at each end of the arena, making the total six. The gymnasium floor is polished wood complete with the requisite markings for a basketball court and shows the wear of time and all the games that have been played there. Red brick walls define the boundary of the bleachers on either side of the gymnasium creating a contrast with the golden wood floor. The interior red brick walls are punctured with strings of metal framed windows behind the top row seats. The curved ceiling and trusses are bright white and reflect light onto the gymnasium floor and fill the space with a warm glow. The score board hangs above the main entrance and silently waits for the athletes and spectators to arrive.

In 1950, the 3,976 square foot shop class was built behind the rear wing. It is a simple brick structure with modular massing and a flat roof. The main entry is a single steel door on the south elevation. There are five large, multi-paned windows on the south elevation and two others on the east. They once would have provided ample natural light and ventilation, but the panes are currently painted white. A shallow, metal lean-to stretches across the west elevation.

In 1975 the 15,007 square foot girls' gymnasium was constructed, at a cost of $113,320, just south of the Eagle's Nest facing east towards Peach Street. The building was designed as a simple, concrete, tilt-up wall style building with a beige stucco finish. This generic structure fits into all of the district campuses and has been duplicated throughout the city.

A pre-fabricated metal shed, surrounded by a chain link fence, was built post-1975 to house portions of the heating and cooling units for the main building. It is located east of the main building, north of the Eagle's Nest, and west of the sidewalk.

Six adjoined tennis courts stand parallel to S. 3^rd Street, west of the girls' gymnasium. They were installed in 1977.