Image 1: Washington Building circa 1910

Image 2: Washington Building circa 2008

Image 3: Washington Building 1940's

Image 4: Tech Building

Mascot: Pioneers (Crimson Flash pre-1930's)

Elyria High School was the first chartered high school west of the Allegheny Mountains, and therefore in Ohio. A later addition, the imposing Washington Building shone here was made from sandstone quarried in 1894. The building has been in continuous use since its construction.
(Tech Building) Built: 1914, 1929 - Closed & Demolished: 2010

Althought the first school in Elyria had been opened in a log cabin in 1918 and another larger school had stood where the Capital Theater stood, the first high school, a private one, was chartered in 1830 and built by Mr. Heman Ely in 1831. It stood on the south-east corner of Cheapside and Broad facing Broad, and was called the Yellow School because of it's yellow bricks. The Reverand John Monteith, the Congregational minister, and his wife were the first teachers. The building was large and had two stories with recitation and assembly rooms on both floors. The studies included Mathamatics, Chemistry, French, Latin, and English Composition. At the end of the final examinations, lasting two days, were held in the Court House with the parents and friends as witnesses.

In the election of 1851 all the voters, 22 in number, voted for the organization of a school district. Elijah DeWitt was elected president of the first board of education. In 1854 a committee was appointed to buy a site for the Union School. On June 5, 1855, lot 39, the site of the present Franklin, Technical, Lincoln, and Washington buildings, was bought from the Presbyterian (later the present Congregational) Church for $1,200. In 1856 plans were completed for the erection of a building at the corner of Middle Avenue and Sixth Street. This three story brick building, in which were consolidated four one-room district schools, was finished in 1857 at a cost of $16,000. The two lower floors were occupied by the grade children and the third floor by the high school pupils. The rooms were heated by stoves. At least three teachers made up the high school faculty. They each received from $4.00 to $5.50 per week. The first class graduated in 1861 with three members.

After 37 years it became necessary to enlarge the plant, and in 1894 the Washington building was built at a cost of $30,000. Mr. Mussey, for many years a member of the school board, furnished all the stone from his quarry and hauled it to the site at his own expense. This building was remodeled in 1923 at a cost of $150,000. In 1905 the Lincoln building was built at a cost of $29,500. In 1914 a grade building was torn down to make room for the Technical Building which cost of $101,000 to build. The west wing was added in 1922. Here the gymnasium, cafeteria, and the laboratories were established at a cost of $153,000. During 1929 another story was added to the west wing at a cost of $29,000.