The Jefferson site first held classes in 1879, in a small building on the corner of Grant and A street. In 1897 the school was officially titled “Jefferson” and many other local schools received presidential names that same year. In 1906, a second, two-story structure replaced the first but remained in the same location. The existing one-story complex was designed by Matson and Hurd Architects and built in 1941 in a Streamline Moderne style with an addition in 1949. Stylistically, this current interation of the school emphasizes the horizontal and a low hipped roof emphasizes the human scale the building conveys. Color is employed to create side-to-side movement and to link the window mullions. The windows are large paned and cluster at the entrance pylon. It was during this construction that Grant street was closed off and built over. Jefferson was one of several schools built in the 40s and 50s to accommodate a growing population. Almost all of Eureka’s school buildings were replaced or enlarged in ensuing decades to handle a larger number of students, but this site remains in its originally constructed form. Credit: The Green Book and the Jefferson Project website.
To learn more about the Jefferson site’s Community Center, visit their site here
