Horace Mann

Horace Mann. . , At first, Horace Mann consisted of two portable trailers near the street on the large property. The first class consisted of 45 students who had previously attended Jefferson School. Demand for the west side school was greater than initially thought, and in 1919 three more portable units were added behind the first two. A year later, William Wirt (then superintendent of the Gary schools) realized permanent structures would need to be built, and in 1921 construction on the present-day Horace Mann School would begin. By 1922, the east building had been constructed, and the west building followed two years later. On November 8, 1926, the cornerstone for the central building was placed., The Horace Mann complex itself was constructed as an ensemble of three buildings in a classic Tudor style. The main building was larger than the other and boasted a grand red and brown brick entrance offset by white columns and pilasters., The central building featured 48 classrooms as well as offices for principal, assistant principal, and their immediate staff. It also contained two libraries, an auditorium, a refectory, two gyms, and two swimming pools., Constructed 1922 , Architect William B. Ittner