Melbie Toast
Stairway to Nowhere: Broken Stairs of the Long-Ago Demolished Jerome, Arizona Main Street Primary School
Ruins of the Main Street Primary School, Jerome, Arizona
The historical plaque at the ruins of the stairs of the Main Street Primary School in the historic old mining town of Jerome, Arizona, reads:
“You are standing at the second story entrance to what once was a three-story primary school. The land was purchased, a bond was passed, and construction began in 1913. It opened May 29, 1914 to graduate three seniors: Francis Lyons, Gertrude Rothermel and T. Edward Peacock.
The building became inadequate almost immediately despite $18,000 being spent on major alterations, and another school was built in 1920 in Deception Gulch.
Following the decline in copper prices in 1932, the school board voted to close the school. In 1944 the building was sold to J.N. Stuart and D.K. Murphy for $606 and was demolished in 1945. The retaining walls for the first floor and the steps to the playground were left intact. The steps to the third floor still lie across the middle retaining wall. This property was leased in 1964 and later sold to Joan Evans, a former teacher at Mingus Union High School.”
“Funded by Jerome Historical Society Plaque Project”
MORE INFORMATION ON THE TOWN OF JEROME, ARIZONA:
Few towns anywhere in Arizona make more of an impression on visitors than Jerome, a historic mining town that clings to the slopes of Cleopatra Hill high on Mingus Mountain. The town is divided into two sections that are separated by an elevation change of 1,500 vertical feet, with the upper part of town 2,000 feet above the Verde Valley. On a clear day, the view from Jerome is stupendous -- it's possible to see for more than 50 miles, with the red rocks of Sedona, the Mogollon Rim, and the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance. Add to the unforgettable views the abundance of interesting shops and galleries and the winding narrow streets, and you have a town that should not be missed.
Stairway to Nowhere: Broken Stairs of the Long-Ago Demolished Jerome, Arizona Main Street Primary School
Ruins of the Main Street Primary School, Jerome, Arizona
The historical plaque at the ruins of the stairs of the Main Street Primary School in the historic old mining town of Jerome, Arizona, reads:
“You are standing at the second story entrance to what once was a three-story primary school. The land was purchased, a bond was passed, and construction began in 1913. It opened May 29, 1914 to graduate three seniors: Francis Lyons, Gertrude Rothermel and T. Edward Peacock.
The building became inadequate almost immediately despite $18,000 being spent on major alterations, and another school was built in 1920 in Deception Gulch.
Following the decline in copper prices in 1932, the school board voted to close the school. In 1944 the building was sold to J.N. Stuart and D.K. Murphy for $606 and was demolished in 1945. The retaining walls for the first floor and the steps to the playground were left intact. The steps to the third floor still lie across the middle retaining wall. This property was leased in 1964 and later sold to Joan Evans, a former teacher at Mingus Union High School.”
“Funded by Jerome Historical Society Plaque Project”
MORE INFORMATION ON THE TOWN OF JEROME, ARIZONA:
Few towns anywhere in Arizona make more of an impression on visitors than Jerome, a historic mining town that clings to the slopes of Cleopatra Hill high on Mingus Mountain. The town is divided into two sections that are separated by an elevation change of 1,500 vertical feet, with the upper part of town 2,000 feet above the Verde Valley. On a clear day, the view from Jerome is stupendous -- it's possible to see for more than 50 miles, with the red rocks of Sedona, the Mogollon Rim, and the San Francisco Peaks visible in the distance. Add to the unforgettable views the abundance of interesting shops and galleries and the winding narrow streets, and you have a town that should not be missed.