Topeka High School
| Topeka High School | |
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| Address | |
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800 SW 10th Street Topeka, Kansas 66612 United States |
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| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Established | 1871 (1931 at current site) |
| School district | USD 501 |
| Principal | Rebecca Morrisey |
| Grades | 9 to 12 |
| Enrollment | 1,840 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Color(s) |
Black Gold |
| Mascot | Trojans |
| Rival | Topeka West High School |
| Newspaper | The World |
| Website | School Website |
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Topeka High School
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| Location | 800 SW 10th Street Topeka, Kansas |
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| Coordinates | 39°2′57″N 95°41′8″W / 39.04917°N 95.68556°WCoordinates: 39°2′57″N 95°41′8″W / 39.04917°N 95.68556°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1870; 1929 |
| Architect | Williamson, Thomas W.; Leeper, John M. |
| Architectural style | Late Gothic Revival |
| MPS | Public Schools of Kansas MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | 05000550 |
| Added to NRHP | June 9, 2005 |
Topeka High School (THS) is a fully accredited high school, serving students in grades 9–12, located in Topeka, Kansas. It is one of four high schools within Topeka Public Schools. In the 2010-2011 school year, there were 1,840 students enrolled.
Topeka High School was established in 1871, and moved to its current location in 1931. At the time, it was among the first million dollar high schools west of the Mississippi River. Topeka High offers a variety of sports and extracurricular activities, and notable alumni include Charles Curtis, 31st Vice President of the United States. Topeka High School's mission "is to prepare all students for college and/or career readiness and success in a global society".
The Topeka Board of Education established Topeka High School in 1871, and the first classes were held on the 3rd floor of Lincoln College (now Washburn University). Over the next 10 years, the school was moved to various locations, including the Washburn Building at 10th and Jackson, and a room situated above the Topeka YMCA and Daily Capital newspaper. In 1882, the first black student graduated from Topeka High. Attendance continued to outgrow the capacity of the school facilities, and in 1894 a new school was completed on the northwest corner of 8th and Harrison, at a cost of $85,000. Topeka High School's student population had reached 1,000 by 1903, and a decision was made to construct a Manual Training High School across the street on the southwest corner of 8th and Harrison, at a cost of $100,000. One third of the new building would be for manual training, and the remainder used for academic classes.
In 1915, an auditorium and cafeteria were added to the north school, and the old auditorium was converted to classes. Soon after, a portable frame building was constructed to serve as a study hall and library, and in 1923, an administration building known as 'The Annex' was added to the west side of the south building. In 1921, Topeka High's cafeteria cook Ida M. Moyer was declared "Champion Pie Baker of the World". It was calculated that over the previous 6 years, Moyer had baked 37,248 pies.
Overcrowding persisted at the new facility, made worse in 1924 when Topeka's Fire Marshall closed the school's 4th floor, calling it "the biggest fire trap in the city". A committee planning the construction of a new high school recommended that one large school be built, and that it occupy an entire city block. They wished it to be "an addition to the City's public buildings, and not just another building". Bishop James Wise offered to sell the grounds of Bethany College and other church property for a price of $142,000, and in 1928, Topeka voters approved issuing bonds of $1.1 million (=$14 million in 2014 adjusted for inflation) to finance construction of the new Topeka High School.Thomas Williamson (an alumnus from 1907) and Ted Griest were selected as architects, and Linus Burr Smith as designer. Construction of the new school took 18 months, and the total cost was $1.8 million. The school opened in Sept. 1931, and there were 2000 students enrolled by the following year.
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