Trout Building – Centralia IL

Description

The Trout Building at Centralia Township High School was the home of Orphan and later Annie Basketball from 1936 until 2006 when a new high school opened. At present, it is part of the City Hope Church, Centralia, IL.

Construction of the facility was enabled by a federal Public Works Administration (PWA) grant, as evidenced by information on the building’s cornerstone. Per primary records, the PWA supplied a $53,181 grant for the project, whose total cost was $125,078. Construction occurred between Nov. 1936 and Oct. 1937.

The building faces Second Street on the back side of the block occupied by City Hope Church. The interior supports for the roof were removed in the late 1960s because they blocked the view of spectators and were replaced with exterior supports. Unfortunately, the contraction and expansion of the metal superstructure began slowly tearing the gym apart. Inside, in the stairwell on the Second Street side of the building is a very large stained glass window featuring two basketball players. It, too, is deteriorating rapidly. A unique feature of the window are several rebuses that play on the names of individuals involved in the project. For instance, there is a small trolley car and a man’s knee to represent A.L. Nieman, who, at the time, was a member of the school board.