Old Albuquerque High School
Encyclopedia
Old Albuquerque High School
is a former school in Albuquerque
, New Mexico
, which is protected by the city as a historic landmark. It is located on the northeast corner of Central
and Broadway NE, at the center of an area that has become known as East Downtown or EDo. The campus comprises five buildings, the oldest of which was built in 1914. After the school moved to a new location in 1974, the old buildings were left abandoned for decades before being renovated as loft apartments in the early 21st century. Old Albuquerque High was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
in 1977.
Old Main is the original building, constructed in 1914. It is located on the southeast corner of the campus, facing Central Avenue
. The three-story building was designed by Henry C. Trost
and originally housed classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, an auditorium, and a science laboratory.
The Manual Arts Building was built in 1927 on the east side of campus, facing Arno Street. It has three stories and 27000 square feet (2,508.4 m²) of floor area, and originally housed a woodshop and machine shop in addition to classrooms. It was designed by local architect George Williamson.
The Classroom Building (1937), Gymnasium (1938), and Library (1940) were all designed by Louis Hesselden and built with New Deal
funding and Works Progress Administration
labor. The Gymnasium, which sits at the north end of the campus, is the largest building with 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) of floor area. The Classroom Building and the Library face Broadway on the west side of campus.
opened in 1949.
In 1974, Albuquerque High School moved to a new location about one mile (1.6 km) to the north, leaving the old campus vacant. Albuquerque Public Schools
eventually sold the buildings, and they were left to deteriorate over the next 25 years as various plans to reuse them fell through and the surrounding neighborhood became increasingly blighted.
The success of the project spurred further revitalization efforts in the surrounding area, leading the city to draft an East Downtown master plan in 2005 to guide future development.
Albuquerque High School
Albuquerque High School is a public senior high school near Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is a part of the Albuquerque Public School district. Enrollment at AHS stands at 1,803.-History:...
is a former school in Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, which is protected by the city as a historic landmark. It is located on the northeast corner of Central
Central Avenue (Albuquerque)
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico...
and Broadway NE, at the center of an area that has become known as East Downtown or EDo. The campus comprises five buildings, the oldest of which was built in 1914. After the school moved to a new location in 1974, the old buildings were left abandoned for decades before being renovated as loft apartments in the early 21st century. Old Albuquerque High was added to the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties
The New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties is a register of historic and prehistoric properties located in the state of New Mexico. It is maintained by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The Cultural Properties Review Committee...
in 1977.
Buildings
The Old Albuquerque High campus comprises five buildings grouped around a central courtyard. All of the buildings were designed in the Gothic Revival style typical of early 20th-century school architecture.Old Main is the original building, constructed in 1914. It is located on the southeast corner of the campus, facing Central Avenue
Central Avenue (Albuquerque)
Central Avenue is a major east-west street in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which historically served as the city's main thoroughfare and principal axis of development. It runs through many of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods, including Downtown, Old Town, Nob Hill, and the University of New Mexico...
. The three-story building was designed by Henry C. Trost
Trost & Trost
Trost & Trost Architects & Engineers was an architecture firm based in El Paso, Texas. The firm's chief designer was Henry Charles Trost, who was born in Toledo, Ohio in 1860. Trost moved from Chicago to Tucson, Arizona in 1899 and then on to El Paso in 1903...
and originally housed classrooms, a gymnasium, a library, an auditorium, and a science laboratory.
The Manual Arts Building was built in 1927 on the east side of campus, facing Arno Street. It has three stories and 27000 square feet (2,508.4 m²) of floor area, and originally housed a woodshop and machine shop in addition to classrooms. It was designed by local architect George Williamson.
The Classroom Building (1937), Gymnasium (1938), and Library (1940) were all designed by Louis Hesselden and built with New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
funding and Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
labor. The Gymnasium, which sits at the north end of the campus, is the largest building with 68000 square feet (6,317.4 m²) of floor area. The Classroom Building and the Library face Broadway on the west side of campus.
History
Old Main was built in 1914, replacing Albuquerque High's previous location in the Central School building downtown. At the time Albuquerque had only 12,000 residents, and critics complained that the new building was too large and would never reach its capacity of 500 students. This proved not to be the case as a second building was required just 13 years later, and the campus had grown to five buildings by 1940. Albuquerque High remained the only high school in the city until Highland High SchoolHighland High School (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Highland High School is a public high school located in southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is part of the Albuquerque Public Schools District. Their mascot is Herbie the Hornet. The school mascot was named after a Naval ship, the USS Hornet. This leads to the school colors of navy blue and gold...
opened in 1949.
In 1974, Albuquerque High School moved to a new location about one mile (1.6 km) to the north, leaving the old campus vacant. Albuquerque Public Schools
Albuquerque Public Schools
Albuquerque Public Schools is a school district based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.Founded in 1891, the Albuquerque Public School District is the largest of 89 public school districts in the State of New Mexico....
eventually sold the buildings, and they were left to deteriorate over the next 25 years as various plans to reuse them fell through and the surrounding neighborhood became increasingly blighted.
Redevelopment
Efforts to renovate the former high school intensified in 1989 when the Albuquerque City Council authorized funds to purchase the property. In 1996, after years of legal wrangling, the city succeeded in acquiring four of the five campus buildings for $1.5 million. The city eventually settled on a plan to convert the buildings into loft apartments in a joint venture with a private developer, and work began in 2001. The Classroom Building and Old Main were the first to be renovated, followed by the Gymnasium, Library, and finally the separately-owned Manual Arts Building. The renovation preserved many interior details such as doors, handrails, and even blackboards. The gymnasium and library reading room are protected spaces and have also been preserved.The success of the project spurred further revitalization efforts in the surrounding area, leading the city to draft an East Downtown master plan in 2005 to guide future development.