If these walls could talk – A history of Stroudsburg High School
Stroudsburg High School is rich in its history.
How old do you think Stroudsburg High School is? If the walls of Stroudsburg High School could talk, what would they say? Stroudsburg High School is rich in its history and it is important to be knowledgeable about the school that gives you your very important education.
I thought the school was about 30 years old. I was shocked to find out that it was almost 120.
— Lexana Gonzalez, Junior
Our first school was a French academy built in the early 1800s. At the turn of the century, the first Stroudsburg-established high school was what is now known as Ramsey Elementary. Due to the mass of students, the building was outgrown. The original building coincidentally burnt down on a Saturday morning in February, which supposedly started in the bell tower. With no school for students to attend, an alternate plan was devised.
Stroudsburg students would attend East Stroudsburg High School in the afternoon, while East Stroudsburg students would attend in the morning. The class of 1927 is the only class to not graduate from the actual building in Stroudsburg, but rather, East Stroudsburg instead.
“It says a lot about civility when it comes to going to the same school as your rivals,” says Mrs. Heather Nowosad.
They rebuilt the original high school after the fire in the same location and used that until they purchased the property where the current high school stands today. The West End Fair used to be where our school is now, which caused controversy among the people because they didn’t want to lose their beloved fairgrounds. Now, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
At the time it was built, things in the school looked different than they do now. The gym used to be where the office is with the locker rooms where the guidance offices are. The building was raised and the only original parts left are where the tiled walls are in the hallway.
It is crazy to think that when the school was built they didn’t have cars, and now students drive to school.
— Delano Morris, Junior
The alma mater was written in 1902 by Ms. Louis Cobb. The 1902 commencement graduated on Friday the 13th of June, with a class of 13. W.H Ramsey, who the school is named after, and Judge Samuel S. Dreher were both in this class.
There have been a lot of successful people to come through Stroudsburg High School. Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Chargers, is Stroudsburg’s most recent famous alumni. Another alumni by the name of Byron Lichtenberg became the first payload specialist to fly in space in 1983. In 1939, a young man named Thomas Shoesmith graduated from Stroudsburg, and later went on to become a US Ambassador for the Reagan administration. A lot of people have made themselves successful at our school and it is guaranteed there will be a lot more.
The oldest sports in Stroudsburg history are football, basketball, baseball, and the rifle team. The rifle range was where Common Threads is now located. Girls’ soccer was a newer sport but nonetheless successful.
It is a truth that Stroudsburg High school has a compelling history. Students have walked through the halls experiencing some of the biggest moments in history that we teach today. We are fortunate to be able to attend a school that has seen much change and has withstood the test of time.
