Map showing the locations of fifty one high schools in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
WOODWARD HIGH SCHOOL
It is only appropriate that the first
school shown on this section be Woodward High School. Located on the block at
Thirteenth, Woodward, Sycamore, and Broadway it was the first public school west
of the Alleghenies. From 1973 to 2010 it housed the School for the
Creative and Performing Arts, but they have since moved to newer facilities. The
building has recently gone on the auction block and sold and will probably
be converted to some type of housing.
In 1827, William Woodward (1768-1833), a successful
farmer and tanner and his wife, Abigail Cutter donated the land and a trust to pay for a free grammar school
and to pay for the education of poor boys. When Cincinnati in 1829 established the
public school system which filled the areas need for elementary education,
Woodward used these 7 acres plus an additional 1 acre for the building of a
secondary school.
The first Woodward Grammar School opened in 1831, it was a
two story structure and was the first free public school in the city.
In 1836 a College department was formed and the name
was changed to the Woodward College of Cincinnati. From 1843 to 1845 William Holmes McGuffey taught languages
here. He is famous for compiling the Eclectic Reader series of books. (also
known as the McGuffey Reader). His brother taught here for thirty years. The
original two-story building was replaced in 1855. By that time Woodward's
endowment had become insufficient and the high school and college were
discontinued. Woodward High School then became part of the public school system. A larger facility was needed so a new 3 story structure
was constructed in 1854-1855. This is the building you see below. Additions were
made in 1867 and 1880. In 1860 responding to a petition from the students, the
bodies of Woodward and his wife were moved from Washington
Park and re-interred under the sidewalk on Broadway. A bronze statue of Woodward
was unveiled next to them in 1878.
The famous abolitionists Levi and Catherine Coffin lived on this
property from 1856 to 1863. Levi is known as the "President of the
Underground Railroad" and is is said there are still remnants of the
railroad's secret tunnels that led slaves to freedom under the present building.
North East
front
North West
front
Gymnasium
Auditorium
Statue
Stair
way
First floor hall
West hall, second
floor
Memorial
window
East hall, second floor
Ruins of Old
Woodward
Committee of teachers and principles looking for lost corner stone
The
building was razed (as you can see in the card above) and the construction of a new five story
building was begun in 1907. The most famous alumni of the school laid the
cornerstone for this building one day after he had been elected president in
1908, William Howard Taft. Taft graduated from here in
1874 is the only man ever to be both President of the United States and Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court. Among the other minor positions he
held were 1887-member of Ohio Superior Court, 1890-United States Solicitor
General, Governor of the Philippines during Theodore Roosevelt's administration,
in 1904 he became the Secretary of War.
This new structure included the most modern facilities
of the time, including indoor flush toilets, central heating, a 1,100 seat auditorium,
two swimming pools, and two gymnasiums. It is also notable for the many Rookwood
Pottery drinking fountains and tile fixtures. The main entryway has a large
stained glass window titled "The Landing of William Woodward at Cincinnati
in Fall of 1791", which was saved from the original 1855 building. In 1928 it became both a junior and senior
high school. This school is seen in the cards below.
The shift in populations from the basin to the suburbs
called for a new high school to be built in the northern section of the city. So
in 1953 a new school was opened on Reading Road in Bond Hill. The Woodward name
and statue were transferred there, and no, the bodies were not moved. The
remains were relocated to the south side of the school which was renamed the
Abigail Cutter Junior High School. The stained glass window also remained
behind. The School for the Creative and Performing Arts moved there in 1977.
Some of the more notable people who have attended SCPA are Carmen Electra, Sarah
Jessica Parker and Nick Lachey. Pop star/producer Lachey produced a reality
show (2008-09) at the school for MTV.
SCPA has now (2010) moved into a new school encompassing a whole
block bordered by Race, Elm, (renamed Erich Kunzel Way at that spot), 12th
Street and Central Parkway. It will contain three theaters. At this time there
are 1,000 students, grades 4-12, attending SCPA. Applications have skyrocketed
as the 2nd season of the MTV show "Taking the Stage" has just been
completed.
The old Woodward building above has now been auctioned off to a
developer who is planning to convert the building into a boutique hotel with 140
rooms. (as of 6-26-13).
Woodward is now located at at the corner of Reading Road and
Seymour Ave. the name has changed to Woodward Career
Technical High School (2006). It now teaches a mixture of college-preparatory
and vocational courses. The first row below of photographs shows part of the old
Woodward at this location, the next image shows the demolition of these
buildings to make room for the new football field for the new Woodward that was
already constructed next door, seen in the bottom row of images.
New Woodward Career Technical High School
Hughes High School is the second oldest high school in the Cincinnati public school system. Established with a bequest from cobbler Thomas Hughes whose shop, believe it or not, was next door to William Woodward's tanning store on Liberty Street between Main and Sycamore. The trusties of the Hughes bequest allowed the estate to accumulate for 27 years until 1851 when the Woodward and Hughes funds were combined. Those children who lived east of Race St. attended classes at Woodward. Those who lived west of Race went to Central High until Hughes High School was completed in 1853 at the corner of Fifth and Mound Streets. That is the school you see in the first five cards.
Looking
Southwest
Rear view & gymnasium Looking
Southeast
Biology Lab
This structure was completed in 1910 in Clifton at the northwest corner of Clifton Ave. and West McMillan St. Once again population shifts caused this school to be shifted to the suburbs. The old Hughes was renamed Jackson Elementary School. (a black only school).
Although the University of Cincinnati is across the street from Hughes High School, this double card view is not possible. The photographers pulled a little trickery to get this view. That is the Deaconess Hospital in the center. In reality U.C. is located where the camera is.
In 1911 Hughes High School was 50 years old. In celebration of that event a 154 page book was produced and the following images are from that book.
Laying The Cornerstone
Auditorium
10-16-1908
Main Entrance
1911 Baseball Team
Boy's Gymnasium
Girl's Gymnasium
Botany Laboratory
Chemistry Laboratory
Pattern Making Room
Domestic Science Kitchen
Domestic Science
Gargoyles Seen On Building
Dining Room
Today there are 5 college prep schools using the Hughes building. The Paideia High School, the High School for Communications Professions, High School for Teaching and Technology, and the Cincinnati Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMAS), the Zoo Academy is a part of CAMAS but is on the grounds of the Cincinnati Zoo. Hughes is a "school of choice" and an exclusionary practice school with approximately 300 students with special needs.
FOR MORE SCHOOLS 
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