- City:
- Anaheim, CA
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Schools
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1938
- Completed:
- 1939
- Designer:
- Marsh - Smith and Powell - Architects
- Quality of Information:
- Moderate
- Site Survival:
- No Longer Extant
Description
The Public Works Administration (WPA) rebuilt the John C. Fremont High School in the years 1938-1939. The original John C. Fremont School was built in 1901. In 1911, it served as an elementary school. Then in 1933, the school was severely damaged in the Long Beach Earthquake. This damaged version of the school was demolished in 1937 for the WPA project.
The school was named “for the California explorer, soldier, and presidential candidate of 1856.”
During the construction of the main building for John C. Fremont High School, there were two additional construction projects. One of the projects was a shop building which was constructed on Citron Street and Lincoln Avenue. The second project was the conversion of the Citron School into a cafeteria for the high school.
The school later became John C. Fremont Junior High School. Then in 1979, John C. Fremont High School was closed because of high upkeep costs and low attendance. A housing tract was built.
Source notes
Stephen J. Faessel. Early Anaheim. 2006: 118.
Charles Epting. The New Deal in Orange County. The History Press. 2014.
John C. Fremont School, Anaheim Graphic. Online Archive of California https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt629018gw/?brand=oac4
John C. Fremont School, Anaheim Graphic. Online Archive of California. https://oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt009nc0t0/?brand=oac4
At this Location:
Site Details
Total Cost |
---|
$330,000 |
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We are wondering what became of the WPA murals that were located in the auditorium foyer. My husband remembers them fondly from 1969.
The auditorium?
I was in stage craft for 2 years (1971-72). I don’t remember murals.
The murals were in the main lobby (where the Xmas tree was always placed), over the main house doors to the theater. I was a student of Maiville’s (1970 – 1972). ‘Auditorium’ is a misstatement.
What Fremont Junior High School had was a theater. It was a shining example of WPA construction. The place should have been saved for multiple reasons. The theater was a amazing place to learn stagecraft. With a professional level backstage that included a hempline fly rail system, Thomas Edison lighting control system (scissor switches and leaver pull dimmer controls), hardwood working stage with a soft pine performance stage, 12 foot double loading doors, loading dock/craft shop/set storage, spotlight/projection booth, in house sound system and I forget how many seats (I want to say 525).
All of that was showing it’s age in 1970, but none of it was beyond repair or replacement. I’ve work a great many professional theaters since then and few have had all the accoutrements’ that that theater featured. It is a shame that the building was replaced with drywall and pine frame condos.
I remember the murals. Remember the huge stage curtain with “ABESTOS” printed across it? I also remember ELO appearing there before they became well known.
It’s too bad the school was torn down. A great piece of history. The students were all so nice. I don’t remember any snarky girls or mean boys. Attended 68-69.
I attended Fremont Jr High my 9th grade (1960-61). It was a great year. The buildings were solid and dry. Think the School Board caved to real estate people, not because it was too expensive to maintain.