Years ago I was part of a class on speaking in public. One thing they emphasized is that you can be confident in your speech if you've earned the right to talk about it. Well, as one of the newest members of the Stillwater Community Center Foundation, I did not feel that I had earned the right to write about the subject of the history of the Foundation. But the history bug got a hold of me, and a chance to write about the past gave me an opportunity to dig in and discover the roots of this group I've become involved in. This journey is becoming very interesting as the folds of history begin to reveal facts of the past that go beyond dates and names.
In my research I first felt it necessary to understand the history of the building that gives the Foundation its purpose. This building contains so many memories for me personally as I was a student here in the mid-70's. In fact, in my first year as a 7th grader the school was the Stillwater Junior High School. As a class we were horrified to learn that the following year we'd have to share the school with the incoming 7th graders and the 6th graders as the school would be changed to the Stillwater Middle School. But my research into the building revealed that such changes had been common throughout the years. So here we go . . .
Starting Point: The Land Run of 1889
A Board of Education was formed in August 1889 (Oklahoma Standard (OS) 24 Aug 1889 p4). By September 7, the city had a population of 300 (OS 9/7/1889). On September 30th a group of “forty scholars” gathered for instruction in the Bourdett’s building (though other sources say it was the "Hodges" building) at the corner of 9th and Main. "They have made some bench desks, of cottonwood boards, and they will warp so fast the teacher cannot keep the children on them” (Harry B. Bullen, Cunningham p55). Mr. E. F. Clark was the first teacher (OS 05 Oct 1889 p4). This was a temporary location as Stillwater was to have “church and school building within two months.” (OS 28 Sep 1889 p1). Bids to supply wood for the school were solicited (OS 05 Oct 1889 p4). The city school was getting some attention in the territory and the school was in full blast with increasing attendance daily (OS 19 Oct 1889 p4). The Guthrie Herald reported that “Stillwater claims the banner for starting the first school in the territory” with enrollment reaching 60 (OS 26 Oct 1889 p1). In the School Report published (OS 23 Nov 1889 p1) the school had enrolled 73 students from grades one through five. Before the year was over, the Stillwater's school taught 85 pupils (OS 28 Dec 1889) and the reported population was 400 (OS 4 Jan 1990).
By the end of March 1890, the population was over 500 (OS 3/29/1890). The first year of education for the children in Stillwater closed for vacation on February 28, 1890 (OS 3/1/1890 p4). The 1890 Census shows a population of 7,215 in Stillwater, though an 1894 column in The Payne County Populist indicates a population at that time of 2,500. Through the next few years, the number of pupils in the Stillwater school system steadily grew. Schoolhouses were built on opposite sides of the town that would be Lincoln school and Jefferson school. Then, because of some pressure from citizens, in 1896 it became clear that a dedicated schoolhouse was necessary in the center of town.
I understand that's a lot of dates and numbers, but that rapid growth of the city lays the foundation that called for a need to build a true multi-room schoolhouse. And that's what they did.
Block 35's History Begins
So began the history of a soon-to-be controversial block in Stillwater, Block 35, snuggled between Duck and Duncan and 8th and 9th. In the year 1896 the Alcott school was built and very quickly became home to not just elementary aged students but also to children above the 8th grade. In no time, and partly due to the coming of the Santa Fe railroad, the walls in the 4-room schoolhouse were simply not enough and in 1910 another school was built next door on the same block. The Horace-Mann school was dedicated to the Elementary school-aged children.
It is unclear if it was due to poor construction or the limited craftmanship of the time but neither of these two schoolhouses would last for long. After the "South High" was built in 1919, the Horace-Mann school was condemned and demolished in 1921 making room for a brand new block-long brick structure that still stands as the "west-wing" of the Stillwater Community Center. The Alcott schoolhouse would last another few years as an elementary school before being condemned and torn down in 1928. If your head is not spinning yet, hold on tight because it's about to be.
In 1938 the South High housed the 9th through 12th grades and the North High housed the 7th through 8th grades. Yet the North High was still not big enough, so another wing was added to the building that extended to the east. In the 1940s the North High extended classes from 7th to 10th grades until 1946 when things flipped and the North High had 9th through 12th grades and the South High had 7th and 8th grades. But wait, we're not done yet. In 1953 the final construction to the building on Block 35 began and the building we now call the Stillwater Community Center was finally completed with an auditorium, offices, library, vocal room, and band room. This was the Stillwater High School until 1960 when the doors closed as a high school and those students moved to the new C. E. Donart High School that was built on Boomer Road, now called the Stillwater High School. At the beginning of the 1960-61 school year, the doors to this building opened as the new Stillwater Junior High School for 7th-9th grade students. The 1971-1972 year was the last year as a Junior High holding classes for 7th-8th grade students. The next year it would change to a Middle School housing 6th – 8th grade students as it would remain until 1987 when the doors closed to Stillwater students for the last time.
In summary, this block in Stillwater was dedicated to the instruction of Stillwater's children for more than 90 years, from 1896 through 1987. During those years these children experienced statehood, world wars, pandemics, industrial revolutions, and desegregation. In 1896 there were many schools in a relatively small area because the children had to walk to school. In 1987 big yellow buses toured around town picking students up and dropping them off. In 1889 the children sat on uncomfortable home-made benches made from green lumber. There were no textbooks while the teachers used crude black boards and had to rely on creative solutions to overcome the lack of supplies. In 1987 the children in Stillwater were already moving from using electric typewriters to computers. Teachers were using white boards and overhead projectors. But it was clear that this building was not equipped for the changes that were to come. By the end of the 1960's, the Stillwater school system was fully integrated but many students with disabilities were still not capable of easily entering and using the school on Block 35. It just wasn't built with them in mind. In the 1980's disability activists began pushing for legislative changes that would result in the 1990 passing of the American with Disabilities Act. It was during this period of societal and legislative changes that the building would close as a school. It had simply not kept up to the changes in our society and Stillwater's rapidly evolving demographics.
The North High and South High in 1945
Images from a 1954 Yearbook show the other buildings on the High School Campus.
High School Students waiting to start their last year in this building.
What do you do with a school when it stops being a school?
A new chapter for this building needed to be started but nobody was stepping up to meet the challenge. The Stillwater Public Schools didn't need the building anymore. They had a new Junior High School and a new Middle School that met the needs of all the children. An appraisal of the building in 1985 revealed that the building was valued at $1.8 million. In 1987 the City Commission began investigating possible uses of the old school. They contracted with Coleman, Johnson and Ervin to study how the building could be used in the future, but nevertheless the building sat pretty much ignored until April of 1991 when the City of Stillwater and Stillwater Public Schools made a land swap. You see, for some reason the city owned several pieces of property that the Stillwater Public Schools used on a regular basis, like the Hamilton Field at Couch Park where many alumni have memories of watching our bronze and blue play football. An agreement was made to swap the old middle school building for those properties, and $200,000.
According to an April 7, 1991 Stillwater News Article, a plan was being developed that included a community center area to be located along Duck Street from Seventh Avenue to 12th Avenue and an Eighth Avenue Plaza. The community center area would be anchored by the Sheerar Museum on the north side and the new library on the south. The purpose of the plan was to attract people to downtown Stillwater. A 14-member Community Center Task Force was appointed by the Stillwater City Commission to consider usages of the two-story building located at Eighth and Duck. The plan stated that this area's purpose would be "to provide a place for community activities to occur, have a strong connection to the Main Street area, be an attraction for the downtown area and Stillwater and meet some of the cultural needs of our citizens.”
Working diligently, the task force decided that rather than renovate the building and then determine usages, they would seek clubs, organizations, and social agencies to identify areas of interest within the building. Their focus was on the first floor of the building.
Gradually, the building started to fill in this chapter of its story. The old cafeteria of the middle school became the new home for the Elderly Nutrition Program, in August of 1991, with the help of a federal grant to renovate the space now known as Project Heart. Local teenagers were able to use the space for hanging out through an organization named Lockers. For several years “Lockers” was a hopping place for those Stillwater’s teenagers. The city commission did step up to budget funds for resurfacing the adjacent parking area.
One thing was very clear, the auditorium needed extensive remodeling to bring it up to standards and the old gymnasium needed a major facelift to make it useful as an event space. Major infusions of money would be needed.
Despite obvious limitations, at the time the auditorium with its 850 seat capacity was the only place in Stillwater that provided an affordable space for plays, concerts, recitals, and programs. The Stillwater Band was using the facility. It was used for dance recitals. In 1994 the Stillwater Community Singers had their first concert in the auditorium. It became clear that organizations and the people of the City of Stillwater had decided the auditorium facility was good enough. But it obviously could be better so the City of Stillwater and the community started to roll up their sleeves and dig deep in their pockets to make a few things happen. In the ten years between 1991 and 2001 just look at what was accomplished:
Architectural studies were conducted
Stillwater High School Alumni area was created
The gymnasium was painted and a new ceiling added
Rooms on the first floor were updated with paint and carpeting for meeting rooms
Windows on the west wing were replaced
Trim and windows were painted
A new roof was installed
Substantial repairs to the boiler were made
Exterior brick work was done
The Kameoka Garden was donated by the citizens of Kameoka who provided 22 Kameoka gardeners to design and install the garden
The Lobby/Foyer and bathroom were remodeled
Cafeteria renovated for Elderly Nutrition
Auditorium ceiling was repaired and painted
A state-of-the-art sound and lighting system was installed in the auditorium
The Town and Gown cooperated to purchase a new stage curtain from “Camelot” proceeds
Nevertheless, other than budgeting for a small staff, the City of Stillwater was not showing a great amount of support for the building. In 2001 the future of the old school was in jeopardy. Mayor Larry Brown voted twice against accepting a $500,000 anonymous donation for the facility. The City Manager even recommended closing the building for good. In a document dated 12/14/2001 Winfrey Houston, who was an influential concerned citizen and whose name is on the Theater, wrote "Over the past several years, more than $4 million have been offered AND rejected by the commission and city manager. Each donation had plans to renovate different parts of the building." The document also questioned the motives of the City for purchasing the building in the first place. He questioned why they would do that and just let it sit there. Several documents and first-hand conversations have stated that even volunteer labor to spruce up the facility with clean-up and paint were not allowed. Nobody was to touch it. Why not?
Winfrey Houston led some interested and dedicated residents to form the Citizen's Initiative Group. They were determined to demonstrate to the City Commission the level of support for this type of facility and identify types of use and potential uses. This was to help the City Commission with their struggle on whether to support a Community Center. By February of 2002, the Citizen's Initiative Group accomplished four important goals.
Finalize the development of a separate board structured, and approved by the City Commission, to set policy on building usage.
Provide both the way and a means to identify and organize community support. This was accomplished by hosting a special session of the City commission on October 18, 2001
Create the Stillwater Community Center Foundation to receive gifts, bequests, donations and grants.
Provide input and assistance to the Community Center director in the development of a facility business plan.
And there it is—the birth of the Stillwater Community Center Foundation. The Oklahoma Department of State filed the Articles of Incorporation on January 11, 2001 and in October the Federal government stated the Foundation was to be treated as a public charity under the Federal income tax section 501(c)(3). We were in business and ready to receive donations.
But, really we had already gotten started. By April of 2001 we had setup a bank account and had received our Federal Tax ID number. The group, still identified as the Citizen's Initiative Group, had initiated the Show you Care…Buy a Chair campaign and had raised $14,700 for the purchase of new seats for the auditorium. Yet because we were not yet a 501(c)(3) at the time, those donations went into the City's coffers. When our 501(c)(3) status was confirmed in October those donations had increased to $16,000. In an August 2004 press release, Ann Houston reported that
Theater seating is now fully funded, thanks to generous donors who funded more than $50,000 of
the $108,633 project through the three-year Stillwater Community Center Foundation’s “Show
You Care, Buy A Chair” campaign,” said George McElhoe chair, Stillwater Community Center
Foundation. “The City of Stillwater picked up the tab for the balance so patrons can expect to have
comfortable theater seating in the near future.”
But whatever happened to that $500,000 anonymous donation the City declined? Ann Houston's press release answers that question.
The secret $500,000 donor was revealed as the late Robert Lowry and his wife Marion. Through the
Lowry’s generous donation, a school gymnasium was transformed into the fully functional Lowry
Activity Center including facilities for catering services. It is now open for public use.
The Lowry Activity Center dedication was held on May 20, 2004. The program listed the members of the Stillwater City Commission. Larry Brown was not on that list but Mayor Bud Lacy was listed and would prove to be a supporter of the Stillwater Community Center.
The future of the SCC seemed to be looking bright. But the Stillwater Community Center Foundation would go through years without purpose or funds. At times it almost folded and even considered transferring the few dollars they had to other non-profits.
Threat of Demolition
Because of the City of Stillwater's acquisition of the block just east of the SCC (Block 34) , which had become just weeds and cement, in March 2015 the Stillwater City Commission considered two proposals for downtown Stillwater development. The proposal that would eventually receive its focus would call for the demolition of the Winfrey Houston Theater in Block 35. Well THAT woke us up. It was time to rally the forces. The one person our group would normally have gone to for support was no longer with us. Our beloved founder, attorney Winfrey Houston, had passed away. Who would lead us? Fortunately, two of his daughters stepped up to the challenge. Ann Houston and Nancy Beckstrom, along with other core individuals who had been waiting in the wings for just such a challenge, began to stir up some interest.
It helped that the people of the city saw the value in the Center. After some preliminary open house-type introductions that were open the public, the developer presented their ideas over two evenings to a full auditorium in the Stillwater Public Library. I went to one of these presentations. When we entered the room we were handed some Post-It notes and some green and red dot stickers. There were big posters on the wall showing the proposed design ideas. We were asked to put green dots on the areas of the designs we liked and red dots on the areas we did not like. A February 23, 2016 Stillwater News Press article said it best-- "One thing quickly became clear when organizers looked at the proliferation of red dots on one area of the design. Many people don't want to see the Stillwater Community Center's auditorium and cafeteria area demolished."
Long story short, the building was pulled off the chopping block once again. By March, the SCCF had become a cohesive group again and a user group started to be formed separate from the Foundation. That summer of 2016 the Foundation received another sizable donation from the Buel A. Staton Trust for $140,000. The influx of cash, along with the dodged threat of destruction, brought new life and new people to the Foundation. In addition, the new user group would become the Friends of Stillwater Community Center and was incorporated in 2017 for the purpose of ensuring that the Stillwater Community Center remain accessible and affordable for use by the citizens of the City of Stillwater.
Within a few months a plan started to be developed which incorporated the needs of the current users, the city, and the community. First up would come to be known as Project 1—The Dining and Event Hall Remodel.
To Be Continued . . .
