This blog series is adapted from a paper written in 2003 by Chris Kiecker on the history of the Central School Building in Shakopee. Over the years, the building has had many names, including Union School, Shakopee High School, Central Elementary, and the Central Family Center. To read the full paper in its original format, please visit our research library. Part 1 dives into the early history of the school district and building.
District 41 School Building, 1870s.
When the public educational system began in Shakopee in 1854, classes were held in various locations, including the Stemmer home and the second story of the old post office building. Three schools served Shakopee residents during the 1870s: The District 1 stone building, the District 2 school, and District 41 school building (1). The No. 1 school burned in 1880, the No. 2 building became the residence of Herman Duede, and the No. 41 school house, located on Fourth Street, served the district until 1918 and was destroyed in 1935 after officials condemned the building as a hazard to life and limb (2).
1881 Building
In July of 1881, the County Commissioners consolidated Districts 1 and 2, and construction began on a new building located on a block of land bordered by Fifth and Sixth Avenues to the north and south, and Holmes and Lewis Streets to the west and east, respectively (3). A published article in 1881 reads:
“The present school system of Shakopee is in the process of a change. A new school house is building, the cost of which will be $10,000 and a well graded school will be inaugurated with the opening of the present building (4).”
On January 10, 1882, the building officially opened for classes with Professor Giles serving as the principal. Ms. Fannie Barnes headed the grammar department and Mrs. Maybelle Patterson and Mrs. Mary O’Brien taught the primary department. At the time, the building was considered elegant for many reasons, including the use of desks in place of the more typical benches of that time. Amenities such as laboratory space, auditoriums, and gymnasiums would have been considered too luxurious for a public school at that time. In 1894, the Moore Heating Company of Minneapolis was awarded the contract for installing a “modern steam heating plant” in the school at a price of $1305. The system claimed to have produced 2,800 feet of direct radiation and was described as a “valuable and long needed improvement (5).”
Original Shakopee High School building, 1880s.
The 1897 academic year began with an enrollment of 55 students. New to the school were some interior modifications. Although the building housed grades 1 through 12, the entire second floor was now designated to the high school. Included in the high school space were: An assembly room 25 x 61 feet in size, a recitation/laboratory space 25 x 30 feet, and a library 25 x 30 feet.6 Although records do not exactly indicate when the school attained its high school status, the first official graduates, Ms. Ida Busse and Ms. Anna Pope, graduated on June 7, 1898.
1907 Addition
By the time the 1906 graduating class of seven held graduation ceremonies, it was apparent to the community that that the school’s quarters were crowded and inadequate. In fact, the graduation ceremony included a speech by Governor John A. Johnson, a friend of Julius A. Coller, in which he stressed the importance of high school education and the community’s responsibility for making it available. Apparently this speech was very compelling, as a school bond election, held in May of 1907, passed six to one. Although this election was held before women were legally allowed to vote, they were allowed to participate in this particular election; of the 264 votes cast, 123 were cast by women (7).
Shakopee High School with the 1907 addition, 1919. Scott County Historical Society.
This bond allowed for renovation of the existing structure and an addition to the south of the original building. The entire project cost $12,000 and included a full basement for manual training, inside sanitary facilities, two large classrooms on the first floor, and a large assembly room for the High School on the second floor.
According to records, the building existed in this form until 1929 (8).
High school assembly room, 1910. Scott County Historical Society.
1929 Addition
The school district began considering the idea of remodeling and expanding the Union Building in December of 1928. Plans were drawn up and estimates were given and a $70,000 bond issue was set for March (9). A February 28, 1929 article in the Shakopee Argus Tribune highlighted “Nine Good and Sufficient Reasons Why the Bond Issue Should Carry the Contemplated Improvements Made Without Delay”. Some of these reasons included the need for more space to remain on the accredited list, a reduction in state aid if additional space was not created, the need for an efficient heating system with automatic controls, and the need for the community to show pride in the local institutions (10).
On March 18, 1929, 636 of 672 votes were cast in favor of the bond issue and arrangements were made to get construction work underway at the earliest possible date. This addition, built on to the north face of the existing structure, was to include a library, gymnasium, auditorium, and classrooms for the high school located above the gymnasium. The new structure was designed by Jacobson & Jacobson, Architects and Engineers. Askov Construction Company served as the general contractor and the Frank Tustison Company provided the mechanical requirements. Materials were supplied locally by Schroeder Brick Manufacturing and Henry Simons Lumber Company. An article in the local paper described the construction process, including the finishing of the floors by the application of a modern substance known as Arm-A-Cote (11).
1929 proposed addition to the school, facing east. Shakopee Argus Tribune, May 29, 1930. Note: While the image above appears to be oriented correctly, it should be reversed horizontally to reflect what was actually built (the arch should be on the right side of the image). This is exactly how it was printed in the Argus Tribune all those years ago, so we decided to leave it as-is as another interesting piece of the Central School’s history.
The final cost of the addition and improvements totaled approximately $90,000. The new building included 14 classrooms, a manual training room, an artistic library, a gymnasium measuring 50 feet x 75 feet, shower baths and dressing rooms “so essential in athletic activities,” and an auditorium with a seating capacity of 700. Large enough for a regulation basketball court, the gymnasium also was designed for use as the stage for the auditorium. The gymnasium and auditorium space served not only as a school space, but also as a community center to various civic organizations. The new classrooms located above the gymnasium included study rooms, an assembly room, and a laboratory for the junior and senior high school students. The original 1881 building was then remodeled to house the home economics, manual training, and commercial departments as well as the grade school students.12
Although the construction work was completed by the arrival of the fall 1929 academic year, the school wasn’t officially dedicated until spring of 1930, during the graduation ceremony. Before the 26 graduates received diplomas in the ceremony, a dedication program was conducted in which Shakopee residents recognized the great achievement of the community. At this ceremony, superintendent E. J. Sweeney and high school principal Ms. Marguerite Christie were recognized for their roles in the remarkable progress made in the local schools(13).
“Beauty in design, utility in space, systematic arrangement of rooms, and craftsmanship in construction,” were some of the descriptions used in the school dedication issue of the Shakopee Argus-Tribune. The paper went on to praise, “A good school with ample educational facilities, such as the one we now enjoy, is one of the biggest and most important civic assets which any town may have claim to. We now have in our present a well-appointed school structure and its up-to-date equipment an educational institution which is second to none in this section (14).”
1929 proposed addition to the school, facing west. Shakopee Argus Tribune, May 29, 1930. Note: While the image above appears to be oriented correctly, it should be reversed horizontally to reflect what was actually built (the tall gymnasium windows should be on the left side of the image, and vice versa). This is exactly how it was printed in the Argus Tribune all those years ago, so we decided to leave it as-is as another interesting piece of the Central School’s history.
The oldest plans currently held by the school district are dated June 9, 1941. Created by Toltz, King and Day Engineers and Architects, these plans indicate that significant mechanical and electrical upgrades and some minor structural changes were made to the pre-1929 structure around this time. Ventilating units were installed in exterior walls in each classroom most likely to improve the indoor air quality by the introduction of fresh outside air. Other improvements included the replacement of worn out wood girders with steel beams, the improvement of the drainage in the basement locker rooms, the upgrading of the electrical system for kitchen and ventilation equipment, and an overall improvement in the interior finishes.
Part 1 References
1. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, May 29, 1930, page 1.
2. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, January 10, 1935, page 1.
3. “The Shakopee Story,” Julius A. Coller II, page 130.
4. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, March 14, 1929, page 1.
5. Scott County Argus, August 26, 1894, page 1.
6. Scott County Argus, September 16, 1897, page 1.
7. “The Shakopee Story,” Julius A. Coller II, page 214.
8. “The Shakopee Story,” Julius A. Coller II, page 215.
9. “The Shakopee Story,” Julius A. Coller II, page 327.
10. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, February 28, 1929, page 1.
11. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, May 29, 1930, page 1.
12. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, May 29, 1930, page 3.
13. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, May 29, 1930, page 3.
14. Shakopee Argus-Tribune, May 29, 1930, page 1.