Dallastown High School 1898-1932
Dallastown has not always been the building it is today. It has gone through many changes before the final product was established. Many things have affected the Hgih School as we know it. The development of the High School will continue until our needs are met.
A school in Dallastown was first established as a log cabin on West Main St. built prior to 1834. "Only children of wealthy families were able to attend Dallastown," remarked Gertrude Shenk, from the graduating class of 1922. This was because there was no tax money to support the school. Each child was charged twelve cents to attend school. There was no law requiring children to go to school. Going to school was a privlege not a requirement. The population of the school was very small.
"My graduating class consisted of twenty people, ten boys and ten girls. It was the biggest yet," said Mrs. Shenk.
"More people wanted to learn and the school was enlarged," replied Mrs. Shenk. A second story was added to the log cabin. The school caught fire and was replaced with a two story brick building. The two story brick building was torn away to Make room for a one story three roomed building. Later a 4th room was added. In this building the first class graduated.
The Charles St. building was opened in 1912. It was a big improvement compared to the previous schools. "This building drew more people to go to school," stated Mrs. Shenk. In the school term of 1929-1930 home EC, shop, and commercial rooms were added. Also the school was made into a Junior High School.
"The school was heated but it was often cold," said Mrs. Shenk. "The classrooms were plain and colorless unlike the classrooms today," said Mrs. Shenk. Teachers were not as strict as they are today because there was no law making them responsible for the children.
The Dallastown mascot has not always been the wildcat. It was the first blue fox. It was later changed. Dallastown has gone through many population changes to amount to the thousands of people there are today.
Dallastown has learned from mistakes made in the past. When the log building caught fire they rebuilt it as a brick building, realizing the building was too small they expanded it. We have used this knowledge to create the building it is today. We are still changing considering the population and the educational advances.
