Central+School

Central School, c.1930-31 1728 Main Street //Forest Grove Inventory of Cultural Resources// (1985)

"The present Central School building sits on the site of a public school built there in 1885 which was originally part of the old Harvey Clark donation land claim (D.L.C.0 #61. This was the second building and site used for such purposes in Forest Grove -- the first being on a now unknown location in a structure purchased and moved there from Pacific University. The first building on the present site was small wooden, "T" shaped affair with the stem of the "T" being the steps leading from the street into the central hall. Two classrooms opened into this hall. The school was only one story high and 70 feet wide. Over the years alterations came to this building, responding to various needs of increasing enrollment. Up until 1905 young people attended high school at Tualatin Academy. However after more enlargements, the first high school class graduated from Central School in 1911. In 1909 an additional school, Lincoln, was built on North Main Street to ease the pressure resulting from higher enrollments.

IN 1930 the Old Central School building, still containing the original structure within its walls, was finally torn down and the present brick one was built. It is a fine monument to a site which has contributed to the education of Forest Grove Residents for over a century."

See also Central School (2002), City of Forest Grove. Photos of the school can be found at //Washington County Heritage Online// - Central School.

From newspaper clippings in 1899, Mr. Stewart found a wealth of information on Central School.(1)

"School district No. 15, including Forest Grove and Vicinity, established by Supt. E.D. Shattuck, in 1855, from terrirory of original No 2....the early history of public school district No. 15 is closely identified with with that of Tualatin Academy. The amount of school funds at that time was small; and as said academy was then struggling for an existence, the two were combined, and tuition charged, in order to secure more funds...in what may be termed the union school, which was first held in a building that stood near the place where Hughes' hardware store is now located. Afterwards, about 1865, the trustees of the college erected a building on what is now the public school lot, which building was intended for a seminary, and here the union school was continued till about 1870...and the two schools were from this time, or soon after, carried on separately...
 * Article 1**

The first graduation from the public school took place in 1889, under the supervision of Principal J.J. Johnson, the graduating class consisting of Miss Francis D. Myers, Frank Kane, and John B. Beal." (2)

Picture of Central School captioned "Forest Grove Public School"
 * Article 1 Picture**

Mr. Stewart's caption: "The above picture of "Central School" appeared in an article on the history of the school in the Forst Grove Times...it describes this first portion of the building being built in 1885. In 1890 and later, additions were added to keep up with the groving population. The front of the school at the right faces Main St. between 17th and 18th Avenues. It was torn down in 1931 and replaced with the present brick building. The same picture also appeared in the Hatchet, Aug. 26, 1897.

"The total number of pupils enrolled in the public school to-day (Thursday) is 212, arranged for the present as follows: ||
 * Insert from FG Times 10/5/1899**
 * || ROOM. ||  || TEACHER. ||   ||> NO. ||
 * || 1, ||  || Mrs. Allen, ||   ||> 35 ||
 * || 2, ||  || Miss Myers, ||   ||> 35 ||
 * || 3, ||  || Miss Brown, ||   ||> 37 ||
 * || 4, ||  || Miss Stewart, ||   ||> 34 ||
 * || 5, ||  || Miss Cronin ||   ||> 36 ||
 * || 6, ||  || Ward B. Swope, ||   ||> 35 ||
 * ||  ||   || Total, - - - ||   ||> 212 ||

1. "Our Public School: Traced down from the Beginning and Personnel of the Teachers," //Forest Grove Times//, 7/27/1899, Box 1/Folder 6/ Position 1-6. 2. Ibid.