OpenStreetMap (new tab)

Google Map (new tab)

Building History

Northern CA architect William H. Weeks (1864-1936) had an extremely successful career, designing a large number of school buildings, in particular. Weeks felt that the school building stood out as one of the most important architectural statements a community could make. He wrote in 1914: "Beautiful architecture expressed in a beautiful school building is an important factor in the child's education. The school buildings found in a community, inside and around them, proclaim...the condition of the people, both intellectually and financially, and [are] a sure index of their lives. Aside from the educational value to the child, good architecture is one of the greatest assets in the building up of a community, adding to the civic pride and making a favorable impression on the home seeker." (See William H. Weeks, "Architectural Style for the School Building," Pacific Coast Architect, 09/1914, cited in Betty Lewis, W.H. Weeks, Architect, [Fresno: Pioneer Publishing Co., 1989], p. 95.) Weeks collaborated on this Pomona High School #2 commission with his former employee, Robert H. Orr (1873-1964), who worked in his office in the late 1890s. W.H. Weeks continued to work on various facilities on this campus between 1923 and 1925.

The Architect and Engineer reported on the new school, the plans of which were being completed by Orr and Weeks in 1921: "Plans have been completed by Architects Robert H. Orr, and W. H. weeks, San Francisco, for the new high school buildings at Pomona. The main building will be two stories and basement, 275x160 ft., with a one-story manual arts building, 100x20 ft. Construction will be of selected brown brick and terra cotta, clay tile and composition roofs. The sum of $425,000 is available for the buildings." (See "With the Architects: Pomona High School," Architect and Engineer, vol. LXVII, no. 3, 12/1921, p. 108.)

Building Notes

The high school was a large, Jacobethan Revival building two stories in height. The building had a five-part design: a central portico stood between two classroom bays on either side, with two projecting pavilions capping both ends. Weeks often used symmetrical 3- or 5-part plans for his school buildings.

Alteration

Mechanical Arts Building and School was added to Pomona High School in 1924 and a gymnasium a year later. Weeks and Weeks Architects (William and his son, Harold [1895-1948]) added a gymnasium in 1925.

Demolition

The school burned in on 05/14/1956. This fire caused $500,000 worth of damage, and may have started by cigarette butt left in a girl's rest room. An article in the Pasadena Independent stated of this fire: "Damage was estimated tentatively at more than $500,000.The fire apparently started in a girls' rest room, and firemen were investigating the possibility it may have been caused by a cigarette. Pomona Supt. of Schools LeRoy Allison, however, said a short in the wiring of a conduit box could have been the cause. The main classroom building and auditorium were reduced to hollow shells. Only machine shops were spared." (See "Flames Gut High School," Pasadena Independent, 05/15/1956; fromAccessed 07/08/2014.) Pomona residents passed a $7.5 million bond issue in 03/1956, $2 million of which was allocated for a new high school in West Pomona. As this was the only high school in Pomona at the time, some of the bond funding was probably diverted to rebuilding a replacement facility.

PCAD id: 2614