LIMA HIGH SCHOOL SPLITS INTO TWO HIGH SCHOOLS

 
                  LIMA HIGH SCHOOL BUILT IN 18??                                           LIMA HIGH SCHOOL HALL            
                  The facade faced on East High Street                                                        Auditorium                        

FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FACED W. NORTH ST.   BEAUTIFUL LIMA HIGH FACADE  ANNUAL 'MIRROR'

        Lima High School and Franklin elementary school were joined together in later years.  The complex eventually
was contained within  the boundaries of West High Street, West North Street, North McDonel Street, and North Pierce Street. 

 

HISTORY OF
 LIMA SOUTH
HIGH SCHOOL

     Lima High school was getting crowded because of the growth of the city of Lima.

     It was probably around 1914, that the parents in the south and east ends of Lima, started talking about a high school for their sections of the city.

     An architect named Thomas McLaughlin was hired to draw up plans for a new high school.  Mr. McLaughlin was also responsible for the Y.W.C.A., Lima   
Stadium(6,000 seats), and other 
LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL NORTH TOWER    Photo by Herb Lanker      prominent structures.
                                                                                             
         Lima South was built in 1917, at a cost of $247,000.  At this time the final figure was a lot of money.

        The high school was located on a plot of ground bordered by St. Johns Avenue, East Franklin Street, South Pine Street, and East Vine Street.  The land was diagonal on one side, and straight on the other three sides.

        The site comprises approximately two city blocks, affording ample opportunity for the development of of sports, and the adding on to the building as Lima grows.  South High was 205' along Pine street, and 106' deep.  It is built
of reenforced concrete and brick with terra cotta trimmings.  The building is completely fireproof.

        The main building consits of three stories, while the shop area facing the inner court are one story with high ceilings and steel and glass construction to assimulate real shops.  The shops are isolated so as not to interfere
with other course departments with their noise and smoke.  The departments are forge and foundry, woodworking,
pattern shop, machine shop, and woodworking shop.

        The first floor plans were to fullfill the needs of the Junior High Organization, and the industrial arts departments.  The gymnasium was on the first floor and contained both boys' and girls' shower and dressing rooms.
there was also a visitors balcony for spectators.  Entrance could also be made directlly from the outside so that the building could be utilized by other people.

        The building is a half square, and has an 800 student capacity.  In 1923, the other half of the square was
completed, which included a library, a three story auditorium(seating 1400), and more classrooms in the south quadrant.  A 1000 seat gymnasium was built for the boys, and basketball. 

        Now the public schools could remove the 7th and 8th graders from the elementary schools and place them at
South and Central.  This relieved the congestion at the elementary schools.  The public schools became organized
under the six-six plan

        The furniture was constructed of quartered oak, and was modern in character.  The Mansfield Reformatory
was responsible for this quality work.  Since the cost of materials was low, the board of education saved at least $25,000.                                       

                 LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL-1919

      LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL-1919    NO LIBRARY, AUDITORIUM, OR CLASSROOMS ON SOUTH SIDE.
.                                                                   NO BOY'S GYMNASIUM.  THESE ROOMS WERE BUILT ON LATER IN 1923.

 

                                               LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL-FIRST FLOOR PLAN-1919

      LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL SHOP AREA-1919

      
                     WOODWORKING BENCH SHOP                                                         FORGE SHOP

       
                        MACHINE SHOP PRACTICE                                                 MECHANICAL DRAWING 

        The manual arts program was placed at the high school, because the people in the south area were involved in industries and trades.  It was felt at the time that the people of Central's district were more affluent and were
into other occupations such as:  doctors lawyers, retail businesses, Etc.  Central kids could attend South if they wanted to though.

    LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS-1919

       
            PHYSICS LABORATORY-THIRD FLOOR                             CHEMISTRY LABORATORY-THIRD FLOOR

       
                GENERAL SCIENCE-THIRD FLOOR                             COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENT-SECOND FLOOR

     
               227 STUDY HALL-SECOND FLOOR                                      FOODS LABORATORY-THIRD FLOOR

      
             CAFETERIA KITCHEN-THIRD FLOOR                                              SOUTH GYMNASIUM-1919

      
     NORTH TOWER STAIRCASE-FROM THIRD FLOOR            VIEW OF THIRD FLOOR-DROP CEILINGS-2002    
   

                      COST OF LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL-1919

                                          ARCHITECTS...................McLAUGHLIN AND HULSKEN, LIMA
                                         GENERAL CONTRACTOR..F.E. WOOD, LIMA

                                 SITE AND GENERAL CONTRACT:......................................$246,598
                                 HEATING AND VENTILATING:...........................................    31,331
                                 PLUMBING.........................................................................    14,664
                                 ELECTRIC WIRING AND FIXTURES........ .........................       8,319
                                 FURNITURE AND GENERAL EQUIPMENT..........................    23,688
                                                                                                                TOTAL $324,500
                                                
                                 MACHINE SHOP EQUIPMENT LIMA BOARD.....................$  13,070

                                 THE OHIO STEEL FOUNDRY,C0.:               J.E.GALVIN...       2,200
                                 THE GRAMM-BERNSTEIN MOTOR TRUCK: B.A. GRAMM..       2,000
                                 THE LIMA STEEL CASTING CO.:                 M.L. JOHNSON    1,200
                                 THE SOLAR REFINING CO.:                        J.G.  NEUBAUER  2,300 
                                  LIMA LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, INC.:           BILL L.REID         4,000
                                  EAST IRON & MACHINE CO.:                     C.C. MOSHER          800
                                  CHALMERS MFG. CO.:                                 FRED BISZANZ       300
                                  THE BUCKEYE MACHINE CO.:                     L.F. HELMS            150
                                   STEINER BROTHERS:                                 P. STEINER            120

                                                  TOTAL SUPPORT FROM ABOVE INDUSTRIES  $ 13,070
                                
                                                                               SHOP EQUIPMENT TOTAL    $ 26,140

       STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR LIMA SCHOOLS

                                                                              DAY SCHOOLS
                                 MACHINE SHOP & PART TIME INSTRUCTORS............... $3240.00
                                 PART-TIME VOCATIONAL WOODWORK INSTRUCTOR..    680.00
                                 HOME ECONOMICS INSTRUCTORS.................................  1020.00
                                 HOME MAKERS' COURSE FOR OVER-AGE GIRLS............    500.00

                                                                              NIGHT SCHOOL
                                 INSTRUCTORS MEN'S VOCATIONAL COURSES.............   2304.00
                                 INSTRUCTORS WOMEN'S VOCATIONAL COURSES.......     921.60
                                 WAR TRAINING CLASSES...............................................    1440.00
                                                                    TOTAL FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR $10,105.60

        Assurance was given that the appropriation would be increased each year, until 1926.  Then the amount would remain fixed at that amount.

    LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY 1918-1919

                                                                P. H. CONSER, ACTING PRINCIPAL

                    TEACHER                             COURSE                            TEACHER                        COURSE

               ETHEL BARSDALE                 COMMERCIAL                       ELIZABETH KITRELL       GIRL'S PHYSICAL DIR.
               MARGARET BRADFORD          FRENCH, HISTORY               GRACE KRUSE                 7TH ARITHMETIC
               KATHERINE BROWN              HOME ECONOMICS             JOSEPHINE LEIB             MATHEMATICS
               MYRTLE BUSICK                    7TH GEOGRAPHY                 HELEN LUDWIG              SCIENCE
               MARY CONRATH                    LATIN, ENGLISH                   RUTH McCLURG              DOMESTIC ART
               DORIS GINTER                      7TH PHYSIOLOGY                HELEN MEREDITH           ENGLISH
               GRACE E. GRIFFIN                ART                                      MILDRED MEREIER         7TH ENGLISH 
               TOM HELBING                       ENGLISH                             CLYDE PIERSON             MANUAL TRAINING
               HOWARD HENDERSHOTT      BOY'S PHYSICAL DIR.           EDWARD PURTEE           SCIENCE, HISTORY
               BONETA JAMISON                 GEOGRAPHY, COMMERCIAL  WILLIAM R. ROBERTS     MACHINE SHOP
               RUTH JUSTUS                        ENGLISH                              C. F. SINCLAIR             8TH HISTORY, MATH
               CLAYTON K. GRAHAM             MATHEMATICS                     EDNA SMELKER              8TH MATH, HISTORY

                                                      

  LIMA SOUTH HIGH SCHOOL MAJOR ADDITIONS-1923

                                                
       A new addition in April of 1923, included an auditorium with 1400 seats, a new gym, which could squeeze in 1000 fans, a library, a cafeteria, and also several new classrooms on the second floor. 

        It was all about people, service, and education.  Here is a short history:

        Fifty sophomores at Lima High School found that they were destined to be the first graduating class from South.  In the Autumn of 1918, these students (now Juniors), entered South for the first time.  They started the newspaper, which was called the "Mirror".  These same students were the charter members of a drama club called the "Ye Merries".

        The school was yet to be completed:  The classrooms were either too hot, or very cold.  The electricity, phone lines, and heating were still being installed.  There was no place to store books and supplies, because the lockers had not been installed.  Two long coat racks were placed at each end of the first floor hall.  You had better not be late, or there would be no books for you.  Only one stairway was utilized, as the other one was being installed.

                                   In 1921: Students formed the First Literary Society

                     Dedicated The football field behind South

                     Changed the name of the newspaper to "The Rainbow"

                     Graduates included Francis Bowyer 

     In 1922:  New teachers included Marie Bowlus, Helen  Shanahan,

                                                    Louise Taggert, H.C. Roberson.

                                   In 1923:  South student body reached 1,100, in a facility built for 800

                                                    New additions include a larger gym, a library, auditorium, larger 

                      study hall, cafeteria, and classrooms on the second floor.

                      New teachers included Genevieve Marvin, Ethel Asher, Marie Tudor,

                      and C.F. Sinclair.

                      Graduates included Zaila Harbaugh.

                                                     Football:  South 19, Central 0-The well-known goose egg!