Mansfield High School - Manscript Yearbook (Mansfield, PA)

Page 8 text:

History of Mansitieldis Schools Our town is known as a College town. Therefore it seems only fitting that this history of education should begin with the- college. The building of a small seminary was completed February 15, 1857, on the site where our college now stands. It opened its doors to students January 15, 1857, under the supervision of the Methodist Church. This did not prove entirely satisfactory, so finally the State took it over, and it was reorganized into a State Normal School, December 11, 1862. The buildings formerly used were enlarged and improved, and the attendance grew until in 1927 it was made a State Teachers College. It has become very well known, especially for its work in Music and Home Economics. A Soldiers' Orphan School was no doubt the next organized. Its name signifies the type of school it Was. The main building was on the site where Shepard's men's clothing store now stands, on the corner of Main and Wells- boro Streets. There were various other buildings belonging to the school, such as dormitories. The Boys' Dormitory was directly across the street from the main building. The children did a great deal of good under the super- vision of Professor Allen, who at the same time was President of the Nor- mal School, for which he accomplished some remarkable things. Later the main building of the Orphan School burned. Besides these schools, the one used for more general purposes was the Academy, situated across from the college on Academy Street, named after the school. This took the place of other schools until the building we now use for a High School was built in 1882. It was then called the Borough School and was graded, being used for all grades, from the highest to the E61 '

Page 7 text:

CONTENTS Foreword Dedication Faculty Classes Activities Life and Ads E51

Page 9 text:

lowest. It was large enough to serve in this capacity for there were few pupils to occupy it, and small one room school! houses accomodated the people of the outlying communities. ' As time went on the population increased and the people's ideals ad- vanced until more and more pupils attended school. Alumni Hall at the Normal was used for some of the pupils, until in 1914 the Training School was built. The Borough School was still usedg it was an individual choice as to which school the pupil wished to attend. The Seniors of the State Normal School taught in the Training School. In the Borough School one teacher was hired for each grade. Finally the grades were divided between these two schools, the elemen- tary grades remaining at the Training School and the Junior and Senior High School grades using the Borough building. Soon the Borough school was made into a High School, and the eight grades of grammar school used the Training School. In 1926 a still further division was made with the erection of the beau- tiful Junior High School building. This made ours the six-three-three system of school division-the first six grades in the Training Schoolg seventh, eighth and ninth in Junior High Schoolg tenth, eleventh, and twelfth in Senior High School. Our High School building is a fairly large one, situated in a beautiful spot beside the Tioga River. It was greatly added to and the education advanced when in 1929 the building to be used as gymnasium and audi- torium was erected. We are still using the same old edifice built in 1882. It has been improved and somewhat remodeled on the interior and still serves its purpose courageously. We would not have wished for any other, for we now love it dearly. We hope, however, that future generations may enjoy a new building on the same beautiful site and spacious grounds as our dear Alma Mater. l7l