Tacoma Public School District's Central School building was originally built in 1883. When that building was demolished in 1914, the new Central School building had already been built two years earlier in 1912 at 601 South 8th Street. Interior view of classrooms, desks are lined up in rows and blackboard in background, at Central School building; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation.

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Public Schools were remodeling and modernizing many of their schools and administration building in the 1940s; they were also constructing new schools, which would allow them to serve the Tacoma community better. Interior view of classrooms in Central School building, desks are lined up in rows, blackboard and George Washington print in background; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation.

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

Tacoma Public Schools Central School building was built at the site of the Washington College. The 8-story high structure later became Tacoma High School. Tacoma Public Schools had selected General Electric Supply Corporation to work on the Central School building. Interior view of classrooms in Central School building, desks are lined up in rows, George Washington picture and refinished and resurfaced blackboard in background; new "Columbia" lighting fixtures installed by General Electric Supply Corporation. TPL-9365

Electric lighting--Tacoma; Light fixtures; Desks; Blackboards; Electrical apparatus industry--Tacoma; Classrooms--Tacoma; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; General Electric Supply Corp. (Tacoma);

Guth Lighting fixtures, Room 11, Central School, Edwin Guth Co. A view of the interior of Room 11, Central School, when the teacher and students are gone, featuring the florescent lights and fixtures. The blackboards line three walls of the classroom. Students have individual seats spaced closely together and the teacher has two small tables in the front. An American flag hangs near the door to the hall way.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Blackboards; Chairs; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Edwin T. Guth Co.; Light fixtures;

Guth Lighting fixtures, Room 11, Central School, Edwin Guth Co. A view of the interior of Room 11, Central School, when the teacher and students are gone, featuring the florescent lights and fixtures. Blackboards line three walls of the classroom and windows nearly fill the fourth wall. Students have individual seats with writing arms that can be brought up for students to take notes. The teacher has two small tables in the front and a large cupboard.A clock and framed picture hang over the blackboard in the back.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950; Blackboards; Chairs; Electric lighting--Tacoma; Edwin T. Guth Co.; Light fixtures;

In April of 1939, the All-City Elementary School Orchestra posed in front of a massive doorway at Central School. The young musicians came from area schools and were between the ages of 9 and 12. The group had formed in February and rehearsed on Saturdays. They were under the direction of Delwyn B. Jones, assisted by N. Walter Anderberg and Leslie Potter. (filed with Argentum) (T. Times 5/12/1939, pg. 2- names in caption)

Children playing musical instruments; Youth orchestras--Tacoma--1930-1940; Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940;

School principals and directors for the Tacoma School District are all smiles as they pose for a group portrait on August 31, 1954, prior to the start of the 1954-55 school year. The names of these individuals are listed in a brief News Tribune article dated September 8, 1954. (TNT 9-8-54, p. 12)

Tacoma Public Schools (Tacoma); Group portraits; School principals--Tacoma--1950-1960; Central School (Tacoma);

1924's eighth grade class at Central School. The eighth grade girls wore fashionably bobbed hair and nearly calf-length dresses while the boys either wore suits with knickers or comfortably worn shirts. The eight-story Central School, located at 601 South 8th St., opened in 1913; local newspapers considered it to be one of the largest and the best in the West. G46.1-050

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1920-1930; School children--Tacoma--1920-1930;

A packed classroom of children gaze at a new radio at Central School on September 19, 1930. TPL-3232; G46.1-051

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1930-1940; School children--Tacoma--1930-1940; Radios;

ca. 1979. Tacoma Central School, 601 So. 8th St. (Now houses administrative offices.) Central School was built in 1912 and designed by the architectural firm of Heath and Gove.

Central School (Tacoma);

In January 1941, the music activities at Central School, 601 So. 8th Street, included this class for learning guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Joseph Lento is teaching: (l to r) front row - Ruth St. Clair, Eleanor Nelson, Betty Lou Fyke, and Jean Perella; middle row - Beverly Chistopherson, Jimmie Hutton, David Mottley, Kenneth Kennett, and Jane Maddon; back row - Billy Crom, Rosamond Fraser, Kay Fraser, Euleen Isaacson. Every Monday morning at 8:30 am the "pick string" students met in the school's basement playroom for an informal concert. At Central School they endeavored to provide every child an opportunity to learn to play some instrument or to sing. Instruction was given in singing, sight reading, piano and virtually all the band and orchestra instruments. The "pick string" instruments were those that did not use a bow, such as the banjo, guitar, mandolin and ukelele.(T. Times 1/17/1941 p. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Guitars; Ukuleles;

In this photograph from January, 1941, Lennard Anderson, the head of the music program at Central School, uses a ruler to point to the short list of music questions that he wrote on the blackboard. The five attentive violin students are (l to r) Janice Wardle, Lila Lee Wright, Pearl Mehalick, Fred Remmen and Patricia Baldwin. The Central School staff believed that every student should have the opportunity to learn to sing or play a musical instrument. (T. Times 1/17/1941 p.13)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Violins; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Anderson, Lennard; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Wardle, Janice; Wright, Lila Lee; Mehalick, Pearl; Remmen, Fred; Baldwin, Patricia;

Tower of Central School Building, Heath and Gove, Architects; 1912. Building is now headquarters of the Tacoma School District. (T. Times)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma;

A class in singing is being held at Central School in January of 1941. The instructor, on the right, plays the accompaniment on the accordion while the choir, in front, leads the singing. Singers in the choir are, front row, Donna Emeott, Janey Harris, Keuzo Moriguchi, David Gimlett, Fred Raphael, and Keiko Fugii. Second row: Stewart Gilbreath, Joyce Powers, Kay Swanson, Barbara Guilmette, Barbara Putnam and Carol Stratton. Musical instruction was a key feature at the school with training given in singing, rhythm, sight reading, piano, strings, band and orchestra instruments. An effort was made to match the student with the right instrument. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950;

In the 1940s, Tacoma's Central School had a strong emphasis on music. Instruction was given in singing, sight reading, piano and virtually all band and orchestra instruments. Joseph Lento, pictured with guitar in January of 1941, taught a class on how to play guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Every Monday morning at 8:30 his "pick string" students met in the school's basement playroom for an informal concert. Musicians usually numbered 20-25, while audiences could reach over 100. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13-article & alt. photograph)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Lento, Joseph; Teachers--Tacoma--1940-1950; Ukuleles;

Tower of Central School Building. The eight story Gothic structure was built in 1912 from a design by the architectural firm of Heath and Gove. In the 1940's, it was still serving as a primary school. It is now the headquarters of the Tacoma School District. (T. Times 1/17/1941, pg. 13)

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma;

1942 Rhythm class in drumming at Central School. Nearly 40 students stand by their desks with music books open and drumsticks in hand. Music was an integral part of Central School's curriculum as the school believed that every student should have the chance to learn to play an instrument or to sing. Lennard Anderson was the director of music at Central School for many years.

Central School (Tacoma); Public schools--Tacoma--1940-1950; School children--Tacoma--1940-1950; Music education--Tacoma--1940-1950; Classrooms--Tacoma--1940-1950;