| In 1910, Salem's public school enrollment
reached 1,947 students. With this many students, Salem needed
a new school. As a result, on September 27, 1910, Englewood
Elementary School was opened. The total cost for the building
was $15,772. The design, a three-story brick structure, was
billed as "...one of the handsomest buildings of its kind
in the state," according to the local newspaper. In the
opening fall, only ten children lived within Englewood's boundaries,
but the school drew in children from other schools in the area.
In 1923, the South wing was added, providing the school with
a cafeteria and an auditorium. In 1950, the North wing was
added, providing six additional classrooms. Then, in 1972,
the gym was added. The gym is a separate building, attached
by a breezeway. The final addition to the school was completed
in 1977 with the construction of a covered play shed. Through
the years, Englewood has seen countless remodeling projects
and updates, but it has never lost its original charm. The
characteristic high ceilings and large windows speak of days
long ago.
Englewood Elementary School has had at least 17 Principals in its 100 year history. The first Principal was W. A. Wiest. The Principal with the longest tenure was Dorothy Daugherty, who served in this capacity for 23 years (1936-1959). The Principal with the shortest tenure was Wilma Wells, who held this position for only part of one school year (1974-75). The 2010 Principal is Jason Weaver.
For many years, Englewood had a special tradition. Since
the families who lived in the area were very stable, Englewood
held a "parent graduation". When the youngest child
in a family graduated from the school, that child's parents
also "graduated". This was held in an official ceremony.
Even though Englewood no longer holds a "parent graduation,"
the community is still very stable. Many current students
can talk about their parents and grandparents attending Englewood.
In fact, there is at least one family that has had four generations
of family members attend Englewood.
The longest continuing tradition at Englewood has been the
annual Carnival. It started in the early years of the school.
The most recent Carnival was held in the fall of 1998.
As I sit in my classroom on the second floor, I sometimes
wonder about the history of my particular room. How many children
have passed through the door? How many teachers have called
this classroom their own? There is so much rich history wrapped
up in Englewood School. If only the walls could speak...
Submitted by Jeff Lutz, current second grade teacher at Englewood.
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