P.J. Jacobs High School – Stevens Point WI

City:
Stevens Point, WI

Site Type:
Education and Health, Schools

New Deal Agencies:
Public Works Funding, Public Works Administration (PWA)

Started:
1936

Completed:
1938

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

P.J. Jacobs High School (now a junior high school) was built by Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers with Public Works Administration (PWA) money between 1936-1938. Until the 1970’s it was the city’s only Public Coed 4 year (grades 9 – 10 – 11 & 12) Senior High School. A large, handsome sandstone building constructed in late Art Deco style, the school boasts stained glass windows depicting famous literary and scientific figures over several of the doorways, wide halls, exquisite golden oak wood paneling, marble window ledges, ceramic tiles representing the technology of the times, terrazzo stairs, and chandeliers that hang in the main entrance hallway. Outside, over one of the entrances, the word, “Opportunity,” is carved in stone.

 

Source notes

Contributor's visit to site.
Two handouts provide this contributor by the school secretary.

Site originally submitted by Sheila D. Collins on December 11, 2015.

Location Info


2400 Main St.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin 54481
Portage County

Location notes: P.J. Jacobs is situated on Stevens Point main thoroughfair, Main Street, an extension of U.S. highway 66 that bisects the city. It is located near Goerke Park and the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point branch.

Coordinates: 44.524213, -89.563626

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

3 comments on “P.J. Jacobs High School – Stevens Point WI

  1. Ken Farmer

    Your statement, “until the 1970’s it was the city’s only high school,” is not accurate. Both Pacelli and Maria High Schools existed long before the 70s. Pacelli was built in 1955. They were merged into a single co-ed high school in the 70’s. If you meant PJ’s was the only city-owned high school until the 70’s, that’s not true either for this would imply that starting in the 70s more than one city-owned high school existed. That has never been the case.

  2. Frank J Ratkowski, jr

    Under Description it should be corrected to read:

    PJ Jacobs High School – “Until the 1970’s it was the city’s only Public Coed 4 year (grades 9 – 10 – 11 & 12) Senior High School.” I graduated with the Class of 1970 so I know.

    Both Pacelli and Maria High Schools were separate all boy & all girl Catholic High Schools until some time after I graduated PJ JACOBS in 1970.

    Check Stevens Point, WI city history at the public library for more school history & city history.

    FJR-jr

  3. Cheryl Kaczmarek

    SPASH was opened in 1972 with the first class graduating that year. It was one year after Pacelli and Maria combined.
    My sister graduated in 1972 from SPASH rather than PJ”s . And I graduated in 1972 as the second class of the combined Catholic high School.
    And PJ Jacobs was not city owned they were part of the school district of Stevens Point, which also included all of the grade schools too. PJ’s became a Junior high school along with the addition of Ben Franklin as a junior high school. And both of them allowed 7 th through 9 grade as the junior high levels and they both sent the 10 th graders to SPASH. Along with the other 2 upper level grades.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

3 comments on “P.J. Jacobs High School – Stevens Point WI

  1. Ken Farmer

    Your statement, “until the 1970’s it was the city’s only high school,” is not accurate. Both Pacelli and Maria High Schools existed long before the 70s. Pacelli was built in 1955. They were merged into a single co-ed high school in the 70’s. If you meant PJ’s was the only city-owned high school until the 70’s, that’s not true either for this would imply that starting in the 70s more than one city-owned high school existed. That has never been the case.

  2. Frank J Ratkowski, jr

    Under Description it should be corrected to read:

    PJ Jacobs High School – “Until the 1970’s it was the city’s only Public Coed 4 year (grades 9 – 10 – 11 & 12) Senior High School.” I graduated with the Class of 1970 so I know.

    Both Pacelli and Maria High Schools were separate all boy & all girl Catholic High Schools until some time after I graduated PJ JACOBS in 1970.

    Check Stevens Point, WI city history at the public library for more school history & city history.

    FJR-jr

  3. Cheryl Kaczmarek

    SPASH was opened in 1972 with the first class graduating that year. It was one year after Pacelli and Maria combined.
    My sister graduated in 1972 from SPASH rather than PJ”s . And I graduated in 1972 as the second class of the combined Catholic high School.
    And PJ Jacobs was not city owned they were part of the school district of Stevens Point, which also included all of the grade schools too. PJ’s became a Junior high school along with the addition of Ben Franklin as a junior high school. And both of them allowed 7 th through 9 grade as the junior high levels and they both sent the 10 th graders to SPASH. Along with the other 2 upper level grades.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.