Capture California, the Game-2012
Adventure: 051, Site 164 –
Merced County High School
National Registry ID: 84000909
Team: Thing One, Thing Two
Date: September 22, 2012
Location:
Latitude: 37°18′24″N
Longitude: 120°28′54″W
Address: 2125 M Street, Merced, CA
Date Built: 1897
Architect: John Miller and Louis
Stanwood Stone
Looking at the pictures which came from old yearbooks, this county high school looked impressive. It was imposing with a tall steeple, students who were nicely dressed and had an element of pride. When we visited the site, the building was still there, but boarded up. The floor leading to the main, padlocked doors was rather tenative to walk on. The building had not been used for years, except maybe by those who were in desperate need of shelter. So no plaque, just questions and the National Registry of Historic Places to remind us of past glory.
Written in 1984, the NRHP says:
Merced County High School is a large two story 1897 Richardsonian Romanesque institutional building with stucco over the original red brick. It is located east of the 1875 courthouse in the city's courthouse square. The original appearance of the building has been altered by the removal of the upper portion of the central wooden tower around 1903, and the addition of stucco over the original brick in 1956. The interior was remodeled for library use circa 1921 and for county offices in 1953. Although integrity has been compromised somewhat,, the building still retains its commanding presence in the city's major historic public space, and conveys a strong sense of its original historic character.
This building was the first building specifically designed and constructed as a high school in Merced County, and as such marks a cultural transition in Merced County, it also served as an early home of the Merced County Library and other civic/governmental offices (see below). This building was and still is a major visual city landmark.
References:
Overall Landmark References:
- National
Registry of Historical Places (NRHP)
- Noehill
(NOE)
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