Ocean Crest Elementary School (former Bandon Grade School) - Bandon OR

City:: Bandon, OR
Site Type:: Schools, Education and Health
New Deal Agencies:: Public Works Administration (PWA), Public Works Funding
Started:: 1939
Completed:: 1939
Designer:: Graham R. Smith
Contractor:: G. E. Anderson
Quality of Information:: Very Good
Marked:: Yes
Site Survival:: Extant

Description

After the Bandon Fire of September 26th, 1936 destroyed the city’s grade school along with most of the town, the community sought funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA) to assist in construction of its replacement. The PWA approved the request, providing 45 percent of the necessary funds for the new grade school.

Construction began in January 1939 and after five months of work, the new Bandon Grade School was presented to the community. The local newspaper noted that PWA inspections occurred throughout the process with the result being: “the federal aid was efficiently administered and the local school district not only received dollar for dollar value for its own investment but it likewise got full value from the federal funds.”

The local school board directed the selection of the project architect and contractor with the result being great pride in the quality of the one-story structure, designed for seven classrooms, a library, kitchen and dining room, teachers’ office and principal’s office, lavatories, and an auditorium. After three years of being taught in the Bandon High School gym, 162 children attended their first day of school in the new building on September 5, 1939.

Additional classrooms were added to the rear of the school in the 1950s. The active public school is now named Ocean Crest Elementary School.

Source notes

"New School Building Accepted: School Board, Contractor and PWA Officials Give Final Approval and District Takes Position," Western World. July 20, 1939. p. 1.

Proehl, Jim (2019) "Ocean Crest School Turns 80." Bandon Historical Society.

Site originally submitted by Judith T Kenny on June 9, 2022.
Additional contributions by Jim Proehl.