Rock Junior High School, Hughes-Quinn Jr. High, East St. Louis Senior High,
contributed by Michael Bergmire in response to a question posted to the St.
Clair Maillist June 2006 (edited with permission):
Both Rock Junior High
School and East St. Louis High School have been razed. Be a little careful
regarding picture postcards of the buildings. In the early 1900s East St. Louis
Senior High School was a building constructed of large pieces of stone. One
source of information stated that the stone is the same type of stone that was
used to construct Eads Bridge. This stone absorbed pollutants and by the 1950s,
when I was a student in the area, the stone was almost black in color. This
building was located on Summit Avenue between 9th and 10th Street. I did locate
a quote from one individual who indicated that he attended high school in this
building in 1913. This older stone building became Rock Junior High School in
the late 1950s.
Later on a new building was constructed of red brick to
the south of the original building. There was only a few feet separating the two
buildings. At this time the two schools occupied a one block by two block lot,
bounded by 9th and 10th Streets on one side and Summit Avenue and Ohio Avenue on
the other. This newer red brick high school was used until 1958, and
subsequently occupied by Southern Illinois University as a Residence Center
until the university was build at Edwardsville in the late 1960s. After Southern
Illinois University stopped using the newer brick building, Rock Jr. High School
and Hughes-Quinn Jr. High School started using the newer building. East St.
Louis Senior High School was now located at 49th and State Street where it is
currently located.
The Summit, 9th and 10th street area of East St. Louis
has recently [spring 2006] been in the news due to the death of dancer and
anthropologist Katherine Dunham. The Katherine Dunham Museum is located about a
block away, possibly in the old YWCA building.
Before the mid-1910s I
would estimate high school graduates attended the building constructed of stone.
From the later 1910s until 1958 it would be the building constructed of red
brick. There was a brass plaque in the building and a date on the cornerstone,
but I am unable to recall the dates.
Contributed by Michael Bergmire, Ballwin, MO
63011. Class of June 1958. Go Flyers!
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