1015 Belknap Street
Superior, WI, USA

Superior Central High School History

Superior Central High School opened its doors to students in September of 1910. The $300,000 building had been constructed to solve the overcrowding at the old Blaine School which had served students from the elementary grades through high school.

Space was not going to be a problem at Central. It contained 70 classrooms, a lunchroom that could hold 200 students and an auditorium that was considered to be “the most handsome” in the state. To further increase space at Central, the Webster Addition, which had enough room for a print shop along with manual arts, domestic science and business administration classes, was constructed in 1923 and was soon followed by a new gym, locker rooms, library and study hall in 1931.

Central was the site of President Calvin Coolidge’s 1928 Summer White House and played host in September of 1959 to John F. Kennedy as he pursued his own dream of becoming president. Its graduates included students who would win ice skating and curling titles, Hall of Fame football players, an Academy Award winner and America’s Ace of Aces. Central graduated its last high school class in 1965 and then served as a junior high and middle school for many years to follow. The school was torn down in 2004.

This photo of Central High was taken in 1950.

An Effort to Save the Stonework

The demolition of Superior Central High School was irreversible, but an effort was made to save some of the stonework for the community's future generations, to be a reminder of the great building.

Efforts to Save Superior Central Fail

In October of 2003, people were still desperate to save Superior Central School from the wrecking ball. However the school district was ready to remove the building after a bond referendum was passed to sell four old schools and to consolidate and build two new schools, and a buyer could not be found for the landmark. A citizen's committee named Save Wisconsin's White House fought hard to rescue the building but their pleas for additional time were not approved.

1015 Belknap Street, Superior, WI, USA