Old Central High School

Evansville High School was originally built in 1868 on the corner of 6^th and Vine St. in Evansville Indiana. It was the first public high school in Evansville and is often quoted as the “Oldest free public high school in continuous operation west of the Allegheny Mountains”. It was at its original location and included many renovations and additions over the year until it was shut down following the 1971-1972 school year. Its location was moved to First Ave. and the original school was razed in 1973. The only thing that remains of the original school is a plaque for in memoriam and the original gymnasium.

Old Central High school was originally named Evansville High School until 1918 when Reitz High School was built on the Evansville west side. It was originally a two-story schoolhouse, but large additions were made over the years. In 1896, the clock tower and two wings were added to the original building. The clock tower was one of the most recognizable monuments in the city and was how citizens identified the school. After many additions, the school encompassed the entirety of the 6^th St. and Vine St. block.

In 1927 a gymnasium was built across the street. Central was highly acclaimed in their football career at both Old Central and the current high school. They won the football championship in their respective conferences throughout the years. For example, they won in 1919, 1921, 1922, and 1924-1929. They won in years following, most recently in 2020.

As the city of Evansville continued to grow the population became more widespread throughout the city. Central was no longer the center of the city. Suburbs were also increasing, and the downtown area became more urbanized and less filled with families. The city decided to accommodate the vastly growing north side and built the new Central High School on N. First Ave. in 1971. The last class graduated from the original school in 1972 and the next class began at the new location in the fall of 1972.

Following the transfer to the new school much debate arose on what to do with the original building. Many citizens, including the Historical Society, argued that the school should be conserved as a historical monument. However, the school had much structural damage from the flood of 1937. The clock tower, as well as other structures, was at risk of collapsing and causing further damage. For this reason, the city razed the original building in 1973. The gymnasium and land was purchased by the YMCA is was used as a parking lot and office building for their association for many years. According the Outreach Director, Sean Kuykendall, the original school is actually buried under the parking lot that was put into place. There are also water systems in place to help prevent further damage from flooding in the area due to its proximity to the river front. In recent years, the YMCA built a new facility across the street and sold the original gymnasium to another prospective buyer who is in the process of turning it into affordable apartment.

There is an honorable plaque in place at the YMCA parking lot as well as the original writing above the gymnasium door. Central still remains a prominent school in Evansville, regardless of the location. For further reading and how to get involved, please follow the links below!

Engler, Joe. Old Central - Evansville's first high school, Vanderburgh County Historical Society. March 20th, 2014. Accessed November 30th, 2023. https://www.vchshistory.org/2014/03/20/old-central/.

Evansville Central Bears, almanacsports.com. November 1st, 2023. Accessed November 30th, 2023. https://www.almanacsports.com/football/history.php?team=CEN .