A year ago I had the opportunity to get a tour of Topeka High School. It was built as a WPA project between 1929 and 1931 and opened to receive 2,000 students. It is a beautiful three-story Gothic building with intricate details everywhere. The library is based off the Great Hall in Hampton Court Place and much of the wood is hand carved and the ceilings and walls hand-painted.
I originally posted these pictures on Facebook but since I no longer have one, I am reposting those pictures here.
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| The ceiling of the high school cafeteria, modeled after the cafeteria at Grosse Pointe South High School. |
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| A close-up of one of the many chandeliers. |
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| The Trojan section of Laney Gym, built over the old swimming pool in 2005. |
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| Another chandelier, this one in the auditorium. |
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| A bay of stained glass windows outside of the auditorium. |
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| The ceiling to the library. |
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| Darkness view of the windows in the library. |
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| A look at the woodwork and fireplace in the library. |
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| Stained glass windows in the Hall of Fame room. |
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| The entryway/lobby. |
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| The sign to the main office. |
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| My obligatory staircase shot. |
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| In 1931, a spar from the U.S.S. Constitution was acquired with help from Vice President Charles Curtis for use as a flagpole. A new spar, again from the Constitution, was acquired in 2005. The old spar is still displayed in a case inside the school. |
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| The bell to the U.S.S. Topeka was presented to the city after it was decommissioned in 1969. |
