The Fairbanks Schoolhouse

The Fairbanks Schoolhouse. . , In November of 1907, a two-story wooden schoolhouse with a cupola was completed on this site. Over time, to accommodate growth, the schoolhouse was expanded and additions were made. In 1932, the school was destroyed by fire, but rebuit in 1934 as a reinforced concrete “fireproof” structure. With continued growth, other schools were built, and the original Fairbanks Public School serves as the Fairbanks City Hall., The Original, The original schoool structure built on this site served approximately 150 students from kindergarten through 8th grade, a substantial increase over the original 50 students attending public school in Fairbanks when opened in 1904. Many residents objected because of the “distance” out of town, and others felt the boomtown of Fairbanks would see a population decline when the next discovery of gold occurred. Those residents were proven wrong with a continuing increase in the number of students. By 1910 the school had expanded to the 12th grade level, allowing the 8th grade graduating class to continue on into high school. The school continued expanding to accommodate the ever increasing number of students, and by 1932, 340 students attended daily classes in this two-story frame building., The Fire, On December 4, 1932, many Fairbanksans awoke to a disastrous fire, one that destroyed the Fairbanks Public School and the additions that had been made over the years. Spaces were provided at the Eagle, American Legion, and Moose Halls, and at the Presbyterian Church for the students. The City undertook the project of building the new Fairbanks Public School, this time as a reinforced concrete “fireproof” structure., Rebuilt, Completed and opened on January 22, 1934, the 35,500-square-foot rebuilt school was officially dedicated on February 12, 1934, at an open house celebrating the new school and the 30th Anniversary of Fairbanks Public Schools. Population growth continued, and by 1939 a 12,350-square-foot addition was built along the west side of the gymnasium and auditorium. With other additions made in the 1940s, the original construction size had almost doubled by the end of the 1940s., Continued Growth, Talk began in the late 1940s about expanding from a one school operation, and when double-shifting became necessary to accommodate all the students, a decision was made to build a separate elementary school. Today Fairbanks is served by 34 schools, and the original enroliment of 130 students has increascd to over 14,000 throughout the district., This original Fairbanks Public School has become Fairbanks City Hall, a building containing 64,000 square feet and housing the administrative offices of the City of Fairbanks, including the Mayor, Engineering Department, Finance and City Attorney., Fairbanks City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1990.