Roosevelt School (Casper, Wyoming)

Roosevelt School
Roosevelt school viewed from the southwest
Location140 East K Street,
Casper, Wyoming
Coordinates42°51′41″N 106°19′26″W / 42.86139°N 106.32389°W / 42.86139; -106.32389
Arealess than one acre
Built1922
ArchitectGarbutt, Weidner & Sweeney
MPSBuildings Designed by Garbutt, Weidner, and Sweeney in Casper MPS
NRHP reference No.96001633[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 30, 1997

Roosevelt School (originally North Casper School) is a former elementary school in Casper, Wyoming.[2] It was designed by Wyoming architectural firm Garbutt, Weidner & Sweeney in 1921 and built in 1922 to accommodate a post-World War I boom in the city's economy from oil and population: the student population had increased 700%.[2] The school served as a neighborhood center in an otherwise-neglected area of the town.[3]

The North Casper area was across railroad tracks from the rest of Casper, and was fast-growing. In the words of Vivian Dwyer, principal of the school, it was "a district of small homes, meager means, and large families." Schooling was not available to all.[2]

In 1921, an expansion of the existing school was planned, but instead a new building was designed and built. Only one wing of six classrooms was finished in a timely fashion, due perhaps to a union-related work stoppage. The central and north wings were completed in 1924.[2] In 1948, the school was tied for having the smallest grounds of any school in Casper, at .86 acres.[2] A gymnasium/auditorium addition was added in 1959, and in 1999 expansion and remodeling added administrative offices.[2]

The school was named for Theodore Roosevelt.[2] It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Michael Cassity (July 30, 1996). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Roosevelt School / North Casper School". National Park Service. Retrieved July 26, 2016. with photos
  3. ^ "Roosevelt School (North Casper School)". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved July 24, 2016.