The Spirit of Sandpoint High School: The Old Sandpoint High School
The old Sandpoint High School has been a part of the community for 93 years. It is filled with memories of 31 years of graduations and the beginning of the famous Sandpoint Bulldogs.
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The Spirit of Sandpoint High School
The founders of Sandpoint knew that a healthy community needed excellent public schools if it was to attract residents and businesses. The first school was established in 1886 and was moved from building to building including the depot and a saloon, In 1894 a one room schoolhouse was built by the Farmin family, founders of Sandpoint. By 1915 it was decided that city needed a modern high school, and planning began.
Sandpoint High School opened in 1922. Designed by Whitehouse & Price Architects of Spokane, the three-story building included a 525-seat auditorium and an indoor running track overlooking the full size basketball court. The classes at the new school included English, Math, Science, Social Studies and Home Economics. In 1954 Sandpoint Senior High became the Sandpoint Junior High School\Ninth Grade Center as new school was constructed to accommodate the growing number of students.
Sandpoint residents showed their school spirit by supporting the football program that was started shortly after the school opened. At first the team dressed in red and white was called the Sandpoint High School Football team. During a practice in 1932 an old, toothless, white bulldog named “Pat” from the neighborhood started coming to the field to watch the team play. The team adopted the dog as their official team mascot and the name “Sandpoint Bulldogs” was born. Jerry Kramer, an offensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1968 started his career as a Sandpoint Bulldog, graduating in 1954. Other notable graduates include humorist Patrick McManus, author of They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They?, and Marianne Love, author of Pocket Girdles and other Confessions of a Northwest Farm Girl, and her daily blog, Slight Detour.
During the 1970’s hundreds of students continued to walk the halls of this historical school, but the grand building was overcrowded and feeling its age. Plaster would rain down on students in the stairwells when they changed classes. The running track doors were chained for fear the track would crash down with the weight of everyone gathering there during lunch. Eventually in the 1980’s classes were moved to the Farmin Stidwell Middle School, the windows were boarded up and doors locked.
The old school was purchased by a private party in January 2000 and painstakingly remodeled to return her to her former glory. Today the old high school is home to several small businesses and the Sandpoint Events Center. The auditorium is available to rent for special meetings or events once again benefiting the community. Students, old and new, are welcome to roam the halls filled with memories of days gone by. The old Sandpoint High School lives on.
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The Sandpoint High School in 1922.
The Sandpoint High School in 1922. The building is complete but the landscaping is in progress. The classrooms were along the front and both sides while the back of the building was against the gym and auditorium. The main office was on the 2nd floor to the front just behind the trees and the Library was above the main office on the 3rd floor. Courtesy of the Bonner County Historical Museum.
The shield above both entrances to the Sandpoint High School at the corner of Euclid Avenue and Pine Street.
The ornate artwork in the cream terra cotta stonework above both entrances was the work of the Whitehouse & Price Architects firm of Spokane. The shield is surrounded by various educational items. Courtesy of the Bonner County Historical Museum.
Sandpoint's first school was a one room school house built in 1894.
Sandpoint’s first school (on the right) was built in 1894 and had a bell tower. This 1902 picture of First Avenue shows how few businesses were on the main downtown street. The school was fenced in and had a board sidewalk in front of it. Courtesy of the Bonner County Historical Museum.
The original high school has been repaired and is now the home of the Sandpoint Event Center in 2015.
The old high school has been renovated in 2009 and is now the Sandpoint Event Center. Old red brick was accented by ornate cream terra cotta tiles. The windows were large to allow natural light into the rooms. During the remodeling, the owners took care to keep the school the same as when it was in use. The two main entrances were identical in design. Courtesy of Mary Garrison. (2015).
The first official Sandpoint High School football team in 1922.
The first football team in the new high school in 1922. The team in the beginning was small, starting with 11 players. Today the complete team easily exceeds 30 players. The fans and alumni fill the bleachers at every home game. Courtesy of the Bonner County Historical Museum.