A LOOK BACK -- JERRY PERSON

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from newcomers to our

fair city is how old is the high school. They are, of course, referring

to Huntington Beach Union High School on Main Street.

The auditorium and bell tower are part of the original buildings that

were part of the complex built in 1926. We have looked at parts of the

school’s early history, and this week, for those of you who are new to

our city, we will look back at the placing of the cornerstone and

dedication of Huntington High.

During the groundbreaking ceremony held Feb. 8, 1926, several students

gathered together to form two lines behind a plow. Each held in their

hand a portion of two ropes that fastened to the plow. When time came,

William T. Newland, senior member of the high school board, held the plow

while the students pulled that plow about 100 feet.

The cornerstone for the $500,000 school was laid on Sept. 22, 1926 in

a ceremony put on by the Masonic Grand Lodge of California and witnessed

by more than 1,000 people. Prior to placing the cornerstone, a large

parade was organized that begun at 17th and Main streets and was composed

of masters and past masters of the Masonic Lodge in full dress uniforms.

These Masons were escorted to the ceremony site by members of the

Knights Templar of Santa Ana. Mason Sam Burke presided over this part of

the cornerstone ceremonies. Newland welcomed the lodge to the ceremonies

and thanked Mr. Allison, the architect of the firm of Allison & Allison

for their work.

There was a musical program by the students at the ceremony under the

direction of Ruth Harlow and a vocal presentation by the school’s Girl

Glee Club. Also on the program was a violin solo by Margaret Shank

accompanied on the piano by Edna Warner and afterward Violet Brewster

performed a piano number.

But the star of the event was a great big piece of granite that would

serve to mark the occasion for many years to come. On this polished piece

of stone were inscribed “Erected Anno Domini MCMXXVI.”

Before this heavy block of stone was put into place, there was to be a

time capsule to be placed behind in hopes that a later generation would

recover it and remember this day in 1926. Lew Blodget stood up and read

from a list of what was placed inside that capsule. There was an American

flag, a copy of the Holy Bible, yes I said bible, a list of the names of

the students, a list of the high school board members, a list of the

names of the faculty, a copy of the school’s yearbook the Cauldron, a

copy of the student manual, the names of the architects, a copy of the

Huntington Beach News of that day, a list of the officers of the Grand

Masonic Lodge, a copy of the building contract and photographs of the old

school.

Huntington Beach resident Arline Howard told me that her father Ralph

C. Huff worked on the landscape for that new school. A.P. Shibley of the

grammar school said the purpose of the public school is to develop a

nation of socially effective individuals. Shibley also praised the

quality of workmanship that had been done so far on the building.

The ceremony concluded with an invocation given by A.E. Prink,

chaplain of the local Masonic lodge. Eight months later on April 27,

1927, the official dedication was held with a program of music given by

the school orchestra under the direction of L.L. Gilmore and a vocal work

performed by the boys’ and girls’ glee clubs. Principal M.G. Jones

accepted the first building for all the students and faculty.

And there you have a little more of our rich history of Huntington

Beach High School.

In 1976, most of the buildings were torn down and the present ones

were added. On Sept. 30, 1989, the original 1926 buildings were placed on

the Orange County’s list of historical landmarks and listed as a city

landmark in a ceremony that included Councilman Jack Kelly and Orange

County Supervisor Harriet Weider.

Howard told me that the cornerstone is still sitting in the wall of

the auditorium for all to see and we hope those pieces in the capsule are

still intact. * JERRY PERSON is a local historian and longtime Huntington

Beach resident. If you have ideas for future columns, write him at P.O.

Box 7182, Huntington Beach, CA 92615.