Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > May > 21 > Entry
Roosevelt, Patterson to be razed over the next month
The former Patterson Co-op High school will be torn down in June and the space is expected to be used for parking for the near future.
The school, at 118 First St., closed in 2001 at the urging of then-Mayor Mike Turner, who proposed that the city would buy the property for $5 million so that it could be developed or resold to be used as part of Riverscape.
The city signed a deal to buy Patterson but never paid any money and later asked the school district to release it from that obligation.
John Carr, the school district’s construction chief, said parking was the preferred short-term use for the site after talks with the city about its future. City spokesman Tom Bidenharn said the hope is to develop the site, but for now parking will help serve that part of downtown.
The building’s June demolition will likely follow the razing of Roosevelt High School on West Third Street, which has been delayed but is expected by month’s end.
Construction on the Patterson building began in 1952 and was finished in time for the 1954-55 school year, according to historical accounts of the school.
Patterson was the brainchild of a committee of industrialists led by NCR Founder John H. Patterson, who approached the school board in 1912 with the idea to combine skilled crafts with secondary education. That led to the Trade Extension in 1913 and that became the Dayton Night School, according to historical accounts. The Dayton Cooperative High School, housed at first in Stivers High School, opened in the fall of 1914.
Carr said there is not a plan right now for a community walk-through for the building, as the district has done with other schools. He said he was approached by alumni about such an event but they never followed up.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By april
May 30, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
I was just surfing the web and came across this article. I am so sad. I attended my senior year in 1986 and have wonderful fond memories of Patterson. It gave young ladies like myself a wonderul opportunity to work and go to school at the same time. I will always remember my years at coop. Too bad it will be a PARKING LOT.By Gerald Pettyjohn
May 24, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
I think that it is terrible that Patterson Coop will be torn down and rates becoming a parking lot. I graduated from Coop in the summer of 1963. It was a great school with teachers that cared for their studentsBy Bob Miller
May 24, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
Who do we contact to arrange a walk through? A specific name and phone number would help.By Joe Gladura
May 24, 2008 8:00 AM | Link to this
I attend and graduated in 1971. We were city champs in football. Who gets the picture of classmates hanging in the hall.937 313-3810. would like to walk thru.By Eve
May 23, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this
If you want to visit the school one last time, it probably can be arranged. But the administration doesn’t know who you are — you have to make yourself known to them. For example, Colonel White alumni, working with the board, recently had a very nice walk through and closing ceremony.By Cheryl
May 23, 2008 8:46 AM | Link to this
Graduated 1993. We really need a walk through before they tear it down. We had great times at Patterson. I have to thank the staff and program for the coop job I got from going to that school. I am still at the company that I got my coop job from (17 years)and still married to my high school sweetheart that I met at Patterson.By JEAN MCCALL
May 22, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this
I graduated class of 53, the first under the new name of Patterson; hence our class picture hung in the office of the new building which opened in Jan. 54. I attended the senior dance with my date (whom I later married) who graduated the summer of 54, the first to graduate from the new building. My husband David later taught at Patterson for 20 years. We have many fond memories of the Co-op days and continue to celebrate them at our reunions. You would be welcome to attend.By D.T.
May 22, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
Theresa, the money provided to build buildings is actually funded primarily from state dollars. Districts across the state have been offered the opportunity to replace old buildings as long as they can raise a portion of the funds needed. There is no way that Dayton could have used those funds to pay teachers, buy new textbooks, etc. Either Dayton built new buildings now with state assistance or later with their own dollars.By Greg
May 22, 2008 12:04 AM | Link to this
I graduated from Patterson in 1990, and to know that my old high school is going to become a parking lot, is just heart breaking. I had so many good memories at Patterson. Would be nice just to walk through those halls one more time.By Riverdale Ghost
May 21, 2008 11:40 PM | Link to this
You think you have something great and suddenly it’s obsolete then ashes. The really proper thing to do would be to wait until everyone died.By Garry
May 21, 2008 10:46 PM | Link to this
I will miss my neighborhood school(Roosevelt) for all of its beauty, history and the centerpiece of West Dayton that it has been for 85 years. I will also miss Patterson, where I attended for 3 years until moving out of state. A lot of good friends, excellent teachers and memories. Thank you Roosevelt High School and Patterson Co-op!!By Tim Adams
May 21, 2008 10:43 PM | Link to this
I want a walk through! Darn it, at least give us a chance to walk through and take a few pictures. Its SO disturbing to see all these grand old buildings reduced to rubble and turned into parking lots. It just seems insane.By Theresa
May 21, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
I graduated from Stivers- Patterson High School. Its a shame that the City of Dayton has spent all their money tearing down and rebuilding all there schools. I think the money would have been better spent paying higher teachers salaries and keeping the older buildings and fixing them up….I thank all my former teachers in my division Cosmotology for being great teachers. Mr. Haas was a great English teacher also. Its also sad to see that the only thing the city of Dayton does w/buildings is tear them down for parking lots…No new business’s but tons of new parking lots… Good-bye Co-op!!!!!!!!