During the first month of the 1967-68 school year – as Staples entered a tumultuous era that would earn it a reputation as one of the most progressive high schools in the country – the town turned its attention to the school’s past.
Staples Hall – the original brick building built on Riverside Avenue in 1884 (now the site of the Saugatuck Elementary School auditorium), overshadowed by construction of the “new” unit in 1938, abandoned when the high school decamped to North Avenue in 1958 but then put back in use by Bedford Junior High for homeroom, English, social studies, music and shop (though without bathroom facilities for boys) — met its end.
The occasion drew a small crowd. Frank Osborne, a graduate of Staples’ Class of 1894 and still a Westport resident, was present. Just before the building was razed, he posed on the front steps for a photograph (below) with 3 former Staples teachers: Caroline Beers, Walter Stevenson and Gladys Mansir.
“It seems a shame that they have to destroy all of it – that they couldn’t leave something,” Mr. Osborne said. “The building is still so sound.”
The building was far from sound, however, and in fact the lintel was saved. It was placed in the courtyard on North Avenue; later it was moved to a grassy spot at the entrance, by the tennis courts.
Demolition — and the lintel that still lives, at the North Avenue entrance. (Photo courtesy of Eric Bosch)
During the wrecking operation, the cornerstone that had been laid 83 years earlier was recovered. The old copper box and its contents of 30 items were given to 1st Selectman Herbert Baldwin.
Plans were to eventually hand the box to Einar Anderson, Charles Lunny and Joel Adams, trustees of the Horace Staples estate. “There is hope that it can be opened publicly with some trace of the ceremony with which it was laid in the corner almost 100 years ago,” the Town Crier reported.
That did not happen. Instead, the cornerstone was stuffed into the back of the main office safe on North Avenue. In 1976 the Alternatives class used it during their study of the American bicentennial. The Westport Historical Society gained possession of the box (minus a few items) in the late ‘70s.
That cornerstone – along with the lintel, some souvenir bricks, and fading memories of longtime Westporters – are all that remain of the building that, for over 8 decades, was Staples High School.
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Once again, this email is somewhat ‘more appealing’ to me than ‘certain’ others, which, QUITE BLATENTLY DO NOT apply to ME – however, here goes – as a proud ‘Brit’, I always agreed with the then ‘Prince Charles’ now King Charles, on ‘SOME’ of his view on architecture. Having a good meaningful structure is of benefit in MANY ways – yes, modern more perhaps ‘post – modern’ buildings, do have their place, however with this quite blatently WONDERFUL school in your fine area of Westport, getting things right is essential. Today, Friday 13th November 2026, myself and my wondreful SCOUSE Mother had a great day out in the greatest city in existence – LIVERPOOL, UK. In this great symbol of NOTH OF ENGLAND MIGHT there are many great structures…..indeed, outside of London there are the most grade 1 & 2 listed buildings in the country – ‘The Three Graces’, St George’s Hall, to name just a ‘handful’. You know myself & my Mother even had a warm drink in one of the restaurants of The John Lewis Department Store – to say throughout our excursion I really ‘shook’ things down is an understatement! Perhaps we should go ALL OUT to LINK our two WONDERFUL areas of Conneiticut and Merseyside – Jonathan Ledger – Ainsdale, Merseyside. England
this is wonderfull to see my aunt Rebecca Boyer Merriless attended the 1938 version of Staples HS
Dan, regarding the suggestion that the copper box containing the cornerstone contents of the original Staples High School building be opened publicly, you wrote, “That did not happen. Instead, the cornerstone was stuffed into the back of the main office safe on North Avenue.”
My recollection is different: I distinctly recall a (sparsely attended) assembly in the Staples Auditorium to open and examine the cornerstone contents, presided over by Joan Schine, the Chair of the Board of Education. (I had recently arrived at Staples as Sophomore.) One of the items found in the box was a timetable for the Westport-Saugatuck Station of the New Haven Railroad — Ms Schine studied it for a moment, and noted with bemusement that back then, the trains to and from New York City ran more often than they did then in 1967.
Both of my parents attended the original Staples. We have the program for my mother’s graduation, and I was class of 1958. Just the other day I was wondering if the old building was still standing. I do hope something’s saved. It was a landmark and I always thought it was very attractive. In my time at Staples, I remember taking a math class and Choir in the building. I think shop classes were also held there. If my memory serves me correctly Mr. Stevenson was a teacher when my parents were there.
Wow! What a great story, Dan! I never knew until now that the sign at the entrance to Staples is the lintel from the original high school!
The basketball court was in the attic as I recall. What a fire trap!
My homeroom was the “learning to type” room on the first floor in the old building, Mr. Podewil’s geometry class was at the top of the stairs and Mr. Ohanian’s music room was up there too. It had high ceilings and a wide staircase. We took it totally forgranted!
In 1884 the Master Workman who built the original Staples was Charles Mills. One of his work crew was his son, Charles Mills. There was a list of complete crew in the time capsule in the cornerstone. It was in the possession of the Westport Historical Society at one time.In 1968 when the lintel was reinstalled on North Avenue the work was done by Homer B Mills ( I have a picture which I sent to Dan). Homer was the son of the younger Charles. Also in 1968, Homer’s son William recycled the bricks from the original Staples to build his chimney when he renovated the house he got from his grandfather, Charles Mills
Wonderful, Dan. Can we have more histories of Westport’s early days?
My mother graduated from “Old Staples HS” in 1938..When it was part of BJHS I had English, French and shop classes there.
My father was in the class of 1936 and his wish was, and I quote, “To plant six acres of corn on one acre’ I have his yearbook and it’s in great condition.