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In 1908 Another large section was constructed along Warren Avenue, designed by city school architects Guilbert & Betelle. The pair designed several structures featured on this blog, including the Morton Street School. This new section was built in a tudor style with castle like turrets and arched entranceways, in keeping with the bizzare styling of the old building. Included in this new section was a large auditorium which included a balcony, as well as pressed tin ceilings throughout the structure.
Just beneath the auditorium was a small gymnasium. The room had a two hoop basketball court, and retained its pressed tin ceiling. The auditorium above was also likely adorned with tin, but it was removed during a renovation at some point on history.
A single two story hallway connected the original building to the new addition. The school operated under the stewardship of the Newark Public School district for over a century before closing in 2006. The structure was quickly occupied again, this time under the name American History High School. However they too vacated the building in 2010.
The first time we visited the school the alarm system wasn't active. By the time we made it back it was, and we inadvertently set it off while trying to better document the structure. Within minutes the NJIT police swarmed the structure, so we were nervous to return.
A small fire swept through the basement in 2019, after starting in a room at the rear of the structure. NJIT acquired the building shortly afterwards.
Then in 2020 it was announced that the school would be demolished for NJIT to build a new residence hall on the site. Demolition began in April of 2021, and by May the building was gone.
I'm incredibly upset by the loss of the Warren Street School. The structure was one of the most unique school buildings I've had the pleasure of visiting. It was in decent shape, attractive, and could have easily been retrofitted into something useful for the city. To add insult to injury, the building NJIT plans to construct is architecturally unremarkable, to put it nicely. Surely historians will look back on this project as one of the greatest losses of the time for the city.
The building was not in good shape. Due to lack of maintenance and attention, any chance of refurbishment was doomed to fail. The structure was guaranteed to collapse under its own weight. I am glad the university is at least will be providing some homage about the warren Street School.
ReplyDeleteYou can repeat this line all you want but it's simply not true. The building was not in any danger of collapse whatsoever. Not that an anonymous account has any credibility to begin with. The building was sturdy until the day it came down. They didn't bring in such large demolition equipment as a goof.
DeleteNope, I was part of the evaluation team and the core structure was in really bad shape and way off on modern code
DeleteEh, that school needed to be replaced anyway, kind of an eye sore especially because of the decay and negligence. There really wasn't a point for it to exist if no one wanted to doing with the existing structure, public or private. Glad that NJIT is doing something about it.
ReplyDeleteI promise you the new building NJIT is planning is way more offensive to the senses than this building was. The negligence could have been avoided, but this is yet another case of "demolition by neglect".
DeleteNo, the old building does not fit with the aesthetics of an modern city. I personally hated the old school. I looked at the new building design and I think it actually looks better. It seems that the new building will also have stores/restaurants available to the public. So overall its miles better.
ReplyDeleteJust because you didn't see or appreciate it's value doesn't mean it didn't have any. It is a fact that is was a significant historic structure and torn down in good shape, and your opinion is just an opinion.
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ReplyDeleteI was a student at Warren st. School from 1969 thru 1972., grades six thru eight. I have good memories of the students, teachers and staff. At that time NJIT was blocks away and Central High was a block away. Ralph and Lucy’s was the student hangout.
ReplyDeleteI was a student at Warren Street School of Visual and Performing Arts from 1996-2003. I loved going to that school. It was my saving grace in many ways. I'm an actor now and I still remember the first time I performed on the stage in the auditorium. I remember performing in band and practicing singing lessons on the piano with the principal after school. English classes on the 2nd floor with Mr. Baraka. And my final years on the 3rd floor as a 7th and 8th grader. I have so many fond memories and am saddened to learn about it's demolition. I wish I had known because I certainly would've protested.
ReplyDeleteSad to see such a beautiful building be allowed to fall into such disrepair and ultimately demolished. They don't make them like this anymore. Cities need to be better and preserving their arcitecture.
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me this was the former castle of the Duke of Warren. 👀
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