The earliest history of the Norwalk
school system will show very little formality in structure. Eighteenth
and nineteenth century schools consisted, mostly, of one room building
variety. Some of which are still standing. One has been moved
from it’s original site on East Avenue to the historic preservation site
atop Mill Hill. Another has been restored at it’s original location
in the West Norwalk/New Canaan area, on Carter Street, and a third stands
on Hurlbutt Street, now part of Wilton. Yet another has been converted
into a bank branch office in Broad River.
A number of private schools had
become well established in town including schools for boys only and for
girls only. Then, around the turn of the century Norwalk operated
a regional High School, which also serviced Wilton, New Canaan, and parts
of Ridgefield and Westport, all of which had been part of the old Norwalk
purchase of 1648. The idea of establishing a Norwalk High School
had been discussed and eventually led to a decision to build a Norwalk
High School. But here's where the records are not too specific.
The earliest high school graduating
class to be found in the archives is the Class Of 1902. The ceremonies
took place in The Music Hall, a place widely known as "South Norwalk’s
Leading Theater". But at the time of this writing it has not been
determined where the ‘high school’ was located. Some say it was in
South Norwalk. One local ‘old timer’ recalls it being on Westport
Avenue where the Fairfield County Home for Dependent and Neglected Children
(The Children's Home) once stood. (This writer lived directly across
Westport Avenue during the early 1930’s and though I do recall a school
behind the children's home it was not Norwalk High School at that time.)
Listings registered in The Norwalk
Directory for that year makes reference only to "the High School", not
using the town name of Norwalk. One suggested explanation for this
is that in fact it was still the regional high school, serving the towns
of Norwalk, Westport, Wilton, Ridgefield and New Canaan. Another explanation
concerned a ‘political jealousy’ or rivalry, which existed between the
north and south communities at that time.
Historians seem to agree, though,
that there were at least four schools with high school departments.
One of those was located on Concord Street in South Norwalk and another
was the Center School at 105 Main Street in Norwalk, ‘the uptown school’.
Here, students had a choice of studying commercial subjects or of taking
college preparatory courses. Few young people of the time stayed
in school long enough to complete a prescribed course of study.
A
new school was finally constructed on West Avenue at Courtland Place, at
the foot of Armory Hill and Stevens Street. It opened in 1908 with
eight teachers and the principal, E. H. Gumbart. The building was
four stories tall, with yellow brick exterior. The first graduation
from the new school was the Class of 1913. (As I remember her telling me,
my mother was in that class.) There was no athletic field on campus,
which meant baseball, track, and other activities had to be held at what
was known as Jesse T. Dunbar Field in the Broad River section and
football was played at Amusement Park on Meadow Street in South Norwalk,
the other end of town.
The last class to graduate from
there was in June 1937. A new red brick building had been built on
the opposite side of the Norwalk River on East Avenue. It opened
in January of 1938. During those years while waiting for the new
school, the school's administration was forced to advance two classes every
year due to over-crowding. Consequently the first commencement from
the East Avenue location was in February of 1938, a class actually prepared
at the West Avenue school and finished at the new facility. (My older
brother started high school that year, also, ending a cycle. My mother
was in the first class graduating at West Avenue and her oldest son in
the last class out of West Avenue and the first group entering the new
facility.)
It was also 1938 when Norwalk
High School established a presence in inter-scholastic sports. The
football team, with such stars as Harry ‘Mickey’ Connolly, Victor D’Amato,
Bill Connery, their coach, Eugene ‘Ike’ Kern and such public spirited citizens
as Paul Connery played an almost perfect season and earned an invitation
to play in the New Year's Day game in Jacksonville, FL. Another victory
there made the season one to be remembered for a long time.
The
building on West Avenue remained in use as an office building during WWII
then as an elementary school. (My oldest daughter began her first
school years there and left with it's final closing.) The old building
was finally razed as part of the redesign of West Ave. for the construction
of the intersection of the new Rt. 7, and I-95, the Connecticut Turnpike.
The last class to graduate from
the East Avenue Norwalk High School, the school with the domed bell tower,
would be the Class of 1971. (My second daughter was part of that
class.) By busing from various parts of town many younger students
occupied many of the classrooms in that now obsolete school building for
several years while city administrators pondered its fate.
The interior of the building
on East Avenue was extensively renovated and now serves as Norwalk City
Hall and Concert Hall, also housing the town’s Board of Education.
From East Avenue and Sunset Hill the exterior remains the same in appearance
as it always has. On the backside, where the Gym once stood, a striking
new entrance features Bronze memorial panels listing all veterans from
WWI to the present. Upon entering you will find yourself standing
in a three story open atrium with elevators to the upper levels.
The walls are handsomely adorned with the colorful murals, which once hung
in the old cafeteria and elsewhere. Opposite the elevators is the
new indoor entrance to the Concert Hall. The outstanding acoustics
in the old auditorium are very well recognized as the "Best in Fairfield
County" by Musicians and critics alike. Symphonic, Choral, and Military
concert groups are among those regularly scheduled on stage.
The
present NHS, located on County Street and Strawberry Hill Avenue, consists
of five ‘houses’ and includes a fine music wing as well as an Olympic swimming
pool, recently named for an NHSAA founder and past president, Pat Spinola,
within its hallowed walls. The NHS Alumni Association has erected
a Wall of Honor in the main lobby to display plaques awarded to outstanding
graduates who have achieved notable successes in their various fields.
(A list of recipients to date is printed in the Alumni Association's free
brochure.)
Many honors have been brought
to The City Of Norwalk through its students. Not the least of such
honors are those earned by The Marching Bears (the band), the World Color
Guard and others who march with them. They have traveled far and
wide throughout the United States performing in parades, cavalcades, concerts
and sporting events. Consistently they place first in competitive
events. The Class of 1972 holds the distinction of being the first
to have their commencement exercises at the school on County Street or,
as it is now referred to by its new mailing address, Calvin Murphy Drive.
This is the entrance drive off County Street, so named in honor of the
NBA Hall of Famer and College All-American, former Houston Rockets basketball
star.
The swamp plagued Joseph F. Andrews
Field off County Street has been replaced with a state of the art athletic
stadium behind the high school which has drawn the admiration of all Norwalkers.
Dedicated as the Testa Field, the new athletic complex places Norwalk High
School among the elite in Fairfield County for its athletic facilities.
In addition to the aforementioned
football a host of other athletic activities are available to boys and
girls including Baseball, Volleyball, Tennis, Lacrosse, Swimming, Wrestling,
Hockey, Basketball, Golf and Track & Field, as well as Color Guards,
Cheer-leading and Cross-country Track. Marching band practice and
competitions are also regularly scheduled users of the athletic field.
Norwalk High School, its fair
to say, is one of the busiest spots in town. And all this is in addition
to an academic program ranking with the best.
Updated 03/04 MEE
References:
“NORWALK, being a historical
account of that Connecticut town” Published by Norwalk Historical
Society Inc., 1979.
“Tintype to Snapshot: an Album
of Victorian NORWALK” By Ralph Bloom, Deborah W. Ray, and Gloria
P. Stewart.
“Reminiscentiae”: Various Yearbooks
of NHS graduating classes on file at the school library.
Norwalk Directory(s) 1896 - 1918
Published by Price & Lee Inc. on file at East Norwalk Public Library.
NHS School Song
