65 Academy Street
Academy Square on October 21, 2006
Academy Square is part of the 10 acres donated to the Santiam Academy by Jeremiah Ralston and Morgan Kees in 1857.
Academy Square on October 21, 2006
Academy Square on October 21, 2006
The plaques that commemorate the land donations and the establishment of Santiam Academy are located here.
Jeremiah Ralston Academy Square Plaque on October 21, 2006
Morgan Kees Academy Square Plaque on October 21, 2006
Santiam Academy Plaque on October 21, 2006
After Santiam Academy closed, the Methodist Episcopal Church turned the land over to the Lebanon School District in 1904 with a 99-year lease. In 1909, the school district built a new school on what is now Academy Square. The new Lebanon School opened on September 6, 1909. A large brick building on a concrete foundation, with electric lighting, running water and central heating, the new school was considered modern in every way.
Old Lebanon High School Gym on October 21, 2006
Lebanon grew quickly, and the new school ended up becoming only a high school by the 1940s as new elementary schools were built around the city.
Old Lebanon High School Gym on October 21, 2006
South and North Wings of classrooms were added in 1947 and 1948 respectively, and the exterior was dramatically changed to match the modern additions.
Old Lebanon High School Gym on October 21, 2006
A gymnasium was added on the back of the building in 1950, and an outdoor swimming pool was built in 1951.
Old Lebanon Middle School Gym on October 21, 2006
A new high school was built in 1959, and the old high school became Lebanon Junior High School in 1959 and was renamed Lebanon Middle School in 1974.
Old Lebanon School Gyms on October 21, 2006
Another gymnasium was built next the old gym in 1976, and a new building with a cafeteria, kitchen and music rooms was built in 1977 (according to the district's website. It may have been later.) and the outdoor pool was removed.
In 1996, it was discovered that the original 1909 building could no longer be used. The building was closed, including the two wings of classrooms, and portable modular classrooms were brought in to make up for the lost space. By 2002, a new middle school had been built and the old building was demolished. During the demolition, a time capsule from 1909 was discovered within the cornerstone of the old building. The two gymnasiums and the cafeteria building were left in place. The property was traded to the city as part of a three-way swap that also included the Lebanon Hospital.
New Lebanon Senior Center on October 21, 2006
The building that housed the cafeteria and music rooms was renovated into a new home for the Lebanon Senior Center, which opened on March 28, 2005.
New Lebanon Senior Center on October 21, 2006
The gymnasiums remained in limbo, as they suffered moisture and mold damage due to leaks in the roof. The city claimed that there was too much damage to save the gyms, but members of the community believed they could be repaired. In 2004, they began trying to raise the money to repair the gyms, but this effort eventually failed and they were demolished in April and May 2008 to make way for a 20,000-square-foot public library & justice center to replace the existing library building, which was dedicated on Saturday, July 11, 2009.
Related Links:
Lebanon High School History by Lebanon School District
Pictures of the gymnasiums' demolition in 2008
Pictures of the gymnasiums' demolition in 2008
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