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What happened to the buildings?
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| Submitted photo - Built in 1892, Madison School, 759 Madison Ave., was named after U.S. President James Madison. The school closed in 1986. A Head Start facility now occupies the site. |
By Dennis Friend, Staff Writer
dennis.friend@nonpareilonline.com
The
first Council Bluffs school buildings were built in 1864. Since then,
at least 50 buildings have been erected and dedicated to the education
of area youngsters.
While the records are incomplete, this list of known schools includes year of construction, location of the school, namesake and ultimate disposition whenever possible.
1864: First Ward School, 120 E. Pierce St. Renamed Stutsman School after J.B. Stutsman. Sold in 1886 and became a residence.
1864: Fourth Ward School, Willow Avenue and Seventh Street. Replaced in 1880 by Bloomer School.
1864: Washington School, named for President George Washington. Also known as Mill School or Atkins, Washington Avenue and North Main. Replaced in 1954 by a new Washington School at 207 Scott St.
1867: Court Street School, Court Street and Cherry, now 15th Street and First Avenue. Also known as 15th Street School and Pig Tail School. Closed in 1894.
1867: Franklin Pierce School, Frank and Thomas streets. Named for President Franklin Pierce. A new school was built in 1884, but the 1889-1890 lists the “East Pierce School” along with the Pierce Street School., and cited the location as “East Pierce and Little Frank.”
1869: Center School, South Sixth and 13th. Sold in 1883.
1871: Council Bluffs High School, Fifth Avenue and Glen. Although unclear, this may also be the “Hill school” or “High School on High School Avenue” noted in directories from 1889-90 and 1893-94. Replaced in 1900 by a new Council Bluffs High School building, which became the first Kirn Junior High School. Destroyed by fire in 1976.
1877: Clark School, Bennett and Franklin avenues. Named for Col. Daniel B. Clark, closed.
1877: McMillen, 16th Street and Eighth Avenue. Named for James McMillen, an early Bluffs school board secretary. Closed in 1951.
1879: Woodbury School, Woodbury and South Avenue. Vacated in 1901.
1880: Bloomer School, Seventh and Willow Avenue. Named for Dexter Bloomer, the first Bluffs school board president and Amelia Bloomer’s husband. Replaced in 1953 by the current structure at 210 S. Seventh St.
1880: Avenue B School, Avenue B and 25th Street, also known as Streetville School for Bluffs judge Frank Street. According to several former students, the school remained in use until the early 1980s, when it was torn down to build Dudley Court housing.
1880: Gunn School, Linden and North Broadway. Named for farmer Levi Gunn, who had owned the land upon which the school was built. Replaced in 1924 by the current Gunn building at 1735 N. Broadway.
1882: Eighth Street School or Hall school, Eighth Street and Avenue G. Replaced in 1953 by a new school, renamed the Mathew Tinley school for military man and doctor Mathew Tinley. Now the Kanesville Alternative Learning Center at 807 Ave. G.
1883: Longfellow School, 20th Avenue and South 10th Street. Named for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Replaced in 1939 by the current Longfellow school building at 2011 S. 10th St.
1884: Pierce Street School, East Pierce and Franklin streets. Closed in 1950.
1884: Third Street School, Third Street and 11th Avenue. Renamed General Dodge School after Union Pacific Railroad chief construction engineer, Gen. Grenville Dodge. Closed in 1975.
1890: Second Avenue School, 23rd Street and Second Avenue.
1891: Harrison School, Harrison Street and McGee Avenue. Named for President William Henry Harrison. Closed in 1975.
1892: Courtland Place School, Locust Street and Courtland Beach in Carter Lake. Removed from the Council Bluffs school district in 1929, replaced by the Carter Lake School at 1105 Redick Blvd. in 1950, and returned to the district in 1966.
1892: Madison School, 759 Madison Ave. Name for President James Madison. Closed in 1986. A Head Start facility now occupies the site.
1893: Thirty-Second Street School, 32nd Street and Ave. C. Later named Franklin School after Benjamin Franklin. Replaced by a new Franklin school structure at 3130 Ave. C in 1975.
1907: Roosevelt School, 517 N. 17th St. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, still in use after multiple additions. A 1966 fire destroyed most of the older section. Only the 1952 section was salvaged when the school was rebuilt.
1908: Oak Street School, Oak and Broadway. Sold in 1950.
1917: Edison School, 2218 Third Ave. Named for inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Addition built in 1951, older section demolished in 1985.
1921: Thomas Jefferson High School, 2501 W. Broadway. Named for President Thomas Jefferson. Still in use after major renovations.
1924: Rue School, 3326 Sixth Ave. Named for educator James R. Rue. Still in use.
1926: Walnut Grove School, 2920 Ave. J. Named because it originally stood amid a grove of walnut trees. Still in use.
1950: Hoover, 1205 N. Broadway. Named for President Herbert Hoover. Still in use.
1957: Pusey school, 147 15th Ave. Named for Harvard educator and Council Bluffs native Nathan M. Pusey. Will close after the current school year.
1957: DeForest school, 29th Street and Ninth Avenue. Named for inventor Lee F. DeForest. Sold in 1985, repurchased in 2009 for temporary classroom use while Bluffs schools are renovated.
1957: Lewis & Clark, 1603 Grand Ave. Named for explorers Meriweather Lewis and William Clark. Still in use.
1957: Peterson School, 26th Avenue and South Ninth Street. Named for Iowa Supreme Court justice Henry K. Peterson. School closed in 1986, facility is now Area Education Agency 13’s Peterson Center.
1957: Myers School, 37th Street and Avenue G. Named for 29-year Thomas Jefferson High School Principal Ray F. Myers. Closed in 1986.
1958: Crescent School, 401 E. Welch in Crescent. Still in use.
1960: Abraham Lincoln High School, 1205 Bonham Ave. Named for President Abraham Lincoln. Still in use, undergoing major renovations.
1961: Lake School, 3610 No. Broadway. Closed in 1981. Now Heartland Therapeutic School.
1961: Woodrow Wilson, 715 N. 21st St. Named for President Woodrow Wilson. Now Wilson Middle School.
1966: Glendale merged with Council Bluffs school district. Sold in 2007.
1966: Sunnydale merged with Council Bluffs school district. Closed in 1981.
1972: Tucker Vocational Education Center, 815 N. 18th St. Named for longtime educator Harmon Tucker. Still in use but now known as the Tucker College and Career Center.
1979: Kirn Junior High, 100 North Ave. named for longtime Abraham Lincoln High School Principal Gerald W. Kirn. Now Kirn Middle School.
No details:
According to the 1889-90 city directory: There was a Hill School on High School Avenue; a 20th Avenue School at 20th Avenue and South Ninth Street; and an Eighth Avenue School, also known as Centre School, at Eighth Avenue and 16th Street.
While the records are incomplete, this list of known schools includes year of construction, location of the school, namesake and ultimate disposition whenever possible.
1864: First Ward School, 120 E. Pierce St. Renamed Stutsman School after J.B. Stutsman. Sold in 1886 and became a residence.
1864: Fourth Ward School, Willow Avenue and Seventh Street. Replaced in 1880 by Bloomer School.
1864: Washington School, named for President George Washington. Also known as Mill School or Atkins, Washington Avenue and North Main. Replaced in 1954 by a new Washington School at 207 Scott St.
1867: Court Street School, Court Street and Cherry, now 15th Street and First Avenue. Also known as 15th Street School and Pig Tail School. Closed in 1894.
1867: Franklin Pierce School, Frank and Thomas streets. Named for President Franklin Pierce. A new school was built in 1884, but the 1889-1890 lists the “East Pierce School” along with the Pierce Street School., and cited the location as “East Pierce and Little Frank.”
1869: Center School, South Sixth and 13th. Sold in 1883.
1871: Council Bluffs High School, Fifth Avenue and Glen. Although unclear, this may also be the “Hill school” or “High School on High School Avenue” noted in directories from 1889-90 and 1893-94. Replaced in 1900 by a new Council Bluffs High School building, which became the first Kirn Junior High School. Destroyed by fire in 1976.
1877: Clark School, Bennett and Franklin avenues. Named for Col. Daniel B. Clark, closed.
1877: McMillen, 16th Street and Eighth Avenue. Named for James McMillen, an early Bluffs school board secretary. Closed in 1951.
1879: Woodbury School, Woodbury and South Avenue. Vacated in 1901.
1880: Bloomer School, Seventh and Willow Avenue. Named for Dexter Bloomer, the first Bluffs school board president and Amelia Bloomer’s husband. Replaced in 1953 by the current structure at 210 S. Seventh St.
1880: Avenue B School, Avenue B and 25th Street, also known as Streetville School for Bluffs judge Frank Street. According to several former students, the school remained in use until the early 1980s, when it was torn down to build Dudley Court housing.
1880: Gunn School, Linden and North Broadway. Named for farmer Levi Gunn, who had owned the land upon which the school was built. Replaced in 1924 by the current Gunn building at 1735 N. Broadway.
1882: Eighth Street School or Hall school, Eighth Street and Avenue G. Replaced in 1953 by a new school, renamed the Mathew Tinley school for military man and doctor Mathew Tinley. Now the Kanesville Alternative Learning Center at 807 Ave. G.
1883: Longfellow School, 20th Avenue and South 10th Street. Named for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Replaced in 1939 by the current Longfellow school building at 2011 S. 10th St.
1884: Pierce Street School, East Pierce and Franklin streets. Closed in 1950.
1884: Third Street School, Third Street and 11th Avenue. Renamed General Dodge School after Union Pacific Railroad chief construction engineer, Gen. Grenville Dodge. Closed in 1975.
1890: Second Avenue School, 23rd Street and Second Avenue.
1891: Harrison School, Harrison Street and McGee Avenue. Named for President William Henry Harrison. Closed in 1975.
1892: Courtland Place School, Locust Street and Courtland Beach in Carter Lake. Removed from the Council Bluffs school district in 1929, replaced by the Carter Lake School at 1105 Redick Blvd. in 1950, and returned to the district in 1966.
1892: Madison School, 759 Madison Ave. Name for President James Madison. Closed in 1986. A Head Start facility now occupies the site.
1893: Thirty-Second Street School, 32nd Street and Ave. C. Later named Franklin School after Benjamin Franklin. Replaced by a new Franklin school structure at 3130 Ave. C in 1975.
1907: Roosevelt School, 517 N. 17th St. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, still in use after multiple additions. A 1966 fire destroyed most of the older section. Only the 1952 section was salvaged when the school was rebuilt.
1908: Oak Street School, Oak and Broadway. Sold in 1950.
1917: Edison School, 2218 Third Ave. Named for inventor Thomas Alva Edison. Addition built in 1951, older section demolished in 1985.
1921: Thomas Jefferson High School, 2501 W. Broadway. Named for President Thomas Jefferson. Still in use after major renovations.
1924: Rue School, 3326 Sixth Ave. Named for educator James R. Rue. Still in use.
1926: Walnut Grove School, 2920 Ave. J. Named because it originally stood amid a grove of walnut trees. Still in use.
1950: Hoover, 1205 N. Broadway. Named for President Herbert Hoover. Still in use.
1957: Pusey school, 147 15th Ave. Named for Harvard educator and Council Bluffs native Nathan M. Pusey. Will close after the current school year.
1957: DeForest school, 29th Street and Ninth Avenue. Named for inventor Lee F. DeForest. Sold in 1985, repurchased in 2009 for temporary classroom use while Bluffs schools are renovated.
1957: Lewis & Clark, 1603 Grand Ave. Named for explorers Meriweather Lewis and William Clark. Still in use.
1957: Peterson School, 26th Avenue and South Ninth Street. Named for Iowa Supreme Court justice Henry K. Peterson. School closed in 1986, facility is now Area Education Agency 13’s Peterson Center.
1957: Myers School, 37th Street and Avenue G. Named for 29-year Thomas Jefferson High School Principal Ray F. Myers. Closed in 1986.
1958: Crescent School, 401 E. Welch in Crescent. Still in use.
1960: Abraham Lincoln High School, 1205 Bonham Ave. Named for President Abraham Lincoln. Still in use, undergoing major renovations.
1961: Lake School, 3610 No. Broadway. Closed in 1981. Now Heartland Therapeutic School.
1961: Woodrow Wilson, 715 N. 21st St. Named for President Woodrow Wilson. Now Wilson Middle School.
1966: Glendale merged with Council Bluffs school district. Sold in 2007.
1966: Sunnydale merged with Council Bluffs school district. Closed in 1981.
1972: Tucker Vocational Education Center, 815 N. 18th St. Named for longtime educator Harmon Tucker. Still in use but now known as the Tucker College and Career Center.
1979: Kirn Junior High, 100 North Ave. named for longtime Abraham Lincoln High School Principal Gerald W. Kirn. Now Kirn Middle School.
No details:
According to the 1889-90 city directory: There was a Hill School on High School Avenue; a 20th Avenue School at 20th Avenue and South Ninth Street; and an Eighth Avenue School, also known as Centre School, at Eighth Avenue and 16th Street.
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