Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Cole School - School's Out Forever

I wanted to get in a few pictures of Cole School before.....before it disappears. Elementary students left the school for the last time last month. Students will be moved to other area schools, and the property is for sale. The school opened 120 years ago and I believe it was originally brick, the stucco was added at some point. You can see that the windows were altered. The cupola at the top was restored not that many years ago. The bell is not original, it was put there about 20 years ago. I read one report that the building was going to be torn down. Local historical experts say there's no value because the building has been changed so much, it's not "original." I did not go to school here, but I've been in the building many times as a guest reader on Dr. Seuss's birthday.


This is the gymnasium, a "newer" section of the school built in 1940. There is a tunnel connecting the school to the gym. Interesting how they decided windows were "bad" and painted them over. There's a plaque on this building with an interesting historical note.

A relic of a Roosevelt "New Deal" program designed to put unemployed people to work.

6 comments:

  1. Yep tear it down to make way for a CVS or Walgreens I am sure. Thats progress.

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  2. I hope that whatever replaces it will be as useful as a school, and not just another mall. =(

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  3. Such sad news tonight. The school board voted to demolish this important piece of Idaho history.

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  4. The school is 1/3 destroyed as of today. Drove by there, the single level of classrooms on the west side is nearly gone, only the gym and main building stand.

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  5. How can a National Historic building be destroyed!

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  6. Still an empty lot, including the Franklin and West Jr. High lots, THANKS FOR NOTHING Boise School District!

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