Central High School (Columbus, Ohio)

Infobox_nrhp | name =Central High School
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= Columbus, Ohio
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 57
lat_seconds = 34
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 83
long_minutes = 0
long_seconds = 27
long_direction = W
locmapin = Ohio
area =
built =1924
architect= William B. Ittner
architecture= Classical Revival
added = March 07, 1985
governing_body = Local
refnum=85000484cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]

Central High School, also known as High School of Columbus and High School of Commerce, was a four-year secondary school (grades 9-12) located at 75 South Washington Boulevard in Columbus, Ohio. It was a part of Columbus City Schools (At the time Columbus Public Schools). Central was opened in 1924 as a four-year high school. It closed in June 1982. It is now COSI Columbus, a science museum.

On March 07, 1985, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Central was one of the original 6 high schools in Columbus Public Schools. The other five were North, South, East, West and Linden Mckinley. Of which only South, East, West and Linden Mckinley remain open. North suffering the same fate of Central only 4 years before, closing in 1978. However it is the current site of East High School, while the East building is being rebuilt.

Closing

Because of declining enrollment in the school district and the bad shape of the building, Central was closed following the 1981-1982 school year in June 1982 and never opened again.

Teachers (film)

Scenes of the movie Teachers were shot at the then closed Central High School. The movie depicted how this school was passing students that couldn't even read. Columbus Public Schools, who rented use of the building to the film maker's did not know at the time that the movie would depict such. Although the movie wasn't based in Columbus, CPS still took the story line of the movie as a discredit to the school district.

COSI

Columbus Public Schools sold the building in the 1990's and soon after COSI Columbus bought the building and remodeled it for the new site of COSI. Most of the front of the school remains facing the river. The new addition sits on what was the football field of the school.

On November 6, 1999 COSI Columbus moved into the old Central High School building.

References