Walhalla High School
National Register Listing
Street Address:
201 & 207 N. College Street, Walhalla, SC (Oconee County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817737023
Description and Narrative:
Walhalla High School was built in 1924 as the first purpose-built public high school for white residents of Walhalla. The building features a restrained Colonial Revival aesthetic. Situated on North College Street near the intersection with West North Broad Street, the two-story, red brick, symmetrical school is set on a hill, with the sloping topography allowing its basement to be fully visible from the west elevation. In addition to the school, the nominated property includes the 1938 auditorium, c. 1924 athletic field (later dedicated as Walhalla Memorial Field), c. 1947 stadium, c. 1956 locker room, c. 1956 concession stand, c. 1956 restroom building, c. 1956 booster club building, c. 1956 press box, and c. 1956 ticket booth. Walhalla High School is locally significant for its associations with Walhalla’s history of education. Prior to the school’s existence, Walhalla featured several private and semi-private single-sex schools in several different locations. In 1902, the school district took steps to meet the needs of white students by constructing the Walhalla Graded School, which came to house both graded school- and high school-age students. After years of overcrowding, the 1924 construction of Walhalla High School marked the culmination of long-running efforts to provide local white high school students with a proper facility that would both meet the demands of secondary education and also relieve strained conditions at the nearby graded school. The school opened in 1924 and it remained the only white high school for Walhalla until 1965. The school served not only Walhalla residents, but also students from smaller surrounding communities that lacked high school facilities. The athletic facilities around the school provided space for physical education and recreation. A new integrated high school opened in 1965, and this building became Walhalla Junior High. Listed in the National Register October 20, 2023.
Period of Significance:
1924 – 1965
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Education
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
October 20 2023
