Historic Schools

Historic Schools. . , The area around present-day Wooster Green, where you are standing, has historically been the site of Bowling Green's junior high and high schools, before they were relocated to the campus on W. Poe Rd. As the city grew and prospered, school buildings were erected, repurposed, or torn down to make way for the next phase of educational architecture., Bowling Green's Earliest Schools , The first school in Bowling Green was the South School House, a log structure built by a group of farmers on the north side of Napoleon Rd. near S. Main St, in 1835. Another log school was built by Alfred Thurstin on the northeast corner of N Main and Ridge Streets in 1836. There was a rame schoolhouse on the present site of the Bowling Green Police Divisionedquarters, across Church St. frem Wooster Green, Population growth during the oil and gas boor years necessitated replacing schooltyses with elementary schools. The first one was built on Ridge St. between t in N Prospect, and N. Summit St.in 1886, the next at 437 S. Main St. in 1889, and a third one at 304 N. Church St. in 1901-02., 1 Bowling Green Central High School (1881) S. Grove St. , The Bowling Green Central High School building (left), in the French Second Empire style, was completed in 1881 on S. Grove St., where the Wood County Senior Center now stands. In 1891, additions were built to accommodate population growth during the oil boom., Second High School (1915-1928) , Junior High (1928-1963) , Central Administration (1963-2012) , Bowling Green Central High School (above) was razed and replaced with a new high school building on the same site, built in 1914-15 Improvements were made in 1931. When a new high school was built in 1928 (below), this building became the junior high school and later the Central Administration Building for Bowling Green City Schools (left). It was torn down in 2012., 2 Senior High (1928-1963). Junior High (1963-2009) , Corner of W. Wooster St. and S. Church St In 1928 a new Senior High School (right) was opened on the site of present-day Wooster Green. It featured a modern gymnasium and a large auditorium. When a new high school was built on W. Poe Rd, in 1963, this building became Bowling Green Junior High School. In 2012, after Bowling Green Middle School was opened at the W. Poe Rd. compus, the building was demolished., Fun Fact! , Visit Bowling Green Middle School at 1079 Fairview Ave. to see the original lamp posts that were at the former Senior High then Junior High (here at the Wooster Green). The lamp posts were moved to the current Middle School after it was built in 2009. The lamp posts were originally donated by the Class of 1932., 3 Ridge Street School (1886) 225 Ridge St. , The original Ridge Street School (left), built in 1886, was replaced by Ridge School (right) in 1931, It was demolished in 2014. In 2015, Ridge Park opened on the site. 4 South Main School (1889) 437 S. Main St. , South Main School (above) was built in 1889 and it was the third large, schoolhouse in the growing city. It was closed in 2009, and was used by various offices and services until 2022. (Courtesy Wood County District Public Library), 5 Church Street Elementary School (1901-02) 304 N. Church St. , Built in 1901-02, the city's third elementary school (below) was later the Bowling Green Library and then the City Administration Building. It was razed in 2023 to make way for the new City Administration Building and related site improvements.