SECTION I (1889 - 1930)

Section I is taken from a re-dedication of York High School speech by
Gilman Moulton on November 25, 1930

At the close of the last school year York High School completed forty-one years of its history.

The first action taken by the Town of York relative to the founding of a high school was in 1889.

The fifteenth article in the warrant for the annual town meeting of that year reads:

To see if the town will vote to comply with Section 28th and the seven following sections of Chapter Eleven of the Revised Statutes of Maine in order to have a free high school in York.

The warm debate of this article brought forth many decided arguments pro and con. To the question of one doubter as to the benefits to be derived from such a school, an enthusiastic advocate of the measure replied very admirably: "A high school in this town will be of inestimable help to your children and mine when grown up to beworth to themselves and the world far more than you are, or than I am." Finally an appropriation of $500 was voted. $250 was received from the State.

The first term of this school, the spring term, was held in the lower hall of the Town Hall. There were 25 pupils with an average attendance of 22 during the term of nine weeks. The principal was Clarence W. Smith, a graduate of Bates College. Mr. Smith had always demonstrated to the school officials of York his ability as a teacher, having taught the Village grammar school during the preceding winter. He was a live teacher whose influence was felt and respected. He had to plan all the work and teach all the classes. He was the apparatus, the total equipment, the factotum of the school.

The fall term was held in the schoolhouse at Scotland and the winter term in the schoolhouse at Cape Neddick. In 1890 the same conditions prevailed as in the preceding year. During these two years a different principal had charge of the school in each of the six terms. There was an average attendance of twenty-two pupils, nearly all of whom attended the school only when it was in session in his section of the town.

In 1893 an appropriation of $250 was made, and the school was held for a whole year in the old Christian Church near York Corner. For a time the school was called after the name of the owner of the building, "The Grant Free High School," a misnomer which became evident to the memorial trusting citizens when the owner charged the town an annual rent of $40. In 1894 the town once more, and happily for the last time, refused to raise money for the school. Each year from 1895 to 1901 inclusive, $500 was appropriated with the exception of the year 1899 when a balance from the preceding year made it unnecessary to raise a larger sum than the $250 which was appropriated. The school continued to occupy the old church until 1898 when better accommodations were provided by the renovation and enlargement of the Village school building. Here it remained until it moved into its present quarters in the fall of 1902.

The warrant for the annual town meeting of 1900 contained the following article: "To see if the town will appropriate a sum of money to build a building for the high school or take any action thereon, By request of Edward C. Cook and six others."  After due discussion the motion to raise $3,000 was amended to $10,000 and carried.  A committee consisting of James T. Davidson, Edward S. Marshall and John C. Stewart, together with the members of the school board, Jasper J. Hazen, Charles N. Junkins, and Nathaniel H. Shattuck, and the superintendent of schools, Edward C. Cook, was appointed to take the matter in hand.  At a special town meeting in April of the same year a lot was selected, but the committee realizing that $10,000 wouldn't pay for the lot and erect a building adequate to the needs of the town, deferred further action until the annual town meeting when an additional appropriation of $5,000 was made.  With a $3,000 lot to pay for, the committee readily saw that the fund was still insufficient to do what they believed the town truly demanded.  However, a contract was made for the building of a schoolhouse, the completion of which required the town to raise another $10,000 at the march meeting in 1902.

The architect of the building was F.C. Watson of York, and the contractor and builder, A.T. Ramsdell of Dover, a native of York.  Work on the building was begun the first of September, 1901, and on June 12, 1902, it was formally turned over to the town completed and ready for occupancy at the opening of the fall term.

As a result of the sagacity of the building committee, the frequent and admirable discussions by "The Transcript", and the good sense of the town, a structure was erected at the dedication of which W.W. Stetson, State Superintendent of Schools, remarked, "Without exception York has one of the finest high school buildings in the state."

For nearly a generation that building served well its purpose. From it has gone 471 of our youth bearing proudly the diploma which they earned amid the inspiring environment under its roof.  But the time arrived when the growth of the school in pupils, teachers and curriculum necessitated a more commodious and up-to-date structure.

The schools of York have always had their champions whose appeals to the people have resulted generally in a liberal appropriation by the town for the support and advancement of its educational system.  Way back in 1864 the school committeemen, John A. Sweet, Washington Junkins, and Samuel E. Payne, wrote in their annual report, "The Committee would respectfully call the attention of certain Districts to their school-houses; doubtless most of the people feel that the Town debt is so much that they cannot think of building new houses; but can investment be made more free from taxation?  In conclusion let us beg leave to say, that under the existing circumstances of our country, the only inheritance we can permanently leave to our children and posterity, is what we can put into their heads, and not in their pockets."

Were these three staunch and far-seeing friends of education here tonight how they would rejoice, as does every thinking man and woman of this town, in completion of this beautiful and substantial structure dedicated to the developing of true and noble manhood.   What a splendid monument bearing evidence to all eyes that the citizens of Old York are alive to the importance of providing modern educational facilities for its youth.

Along with the physical growth of the school has marched the intellectual.  The course of study has been expanded and enriched from time to time. Three courses are now offered; college preparatory, general of scientific and commercial.  For a number of years the school has been on the list of "approved schools" from which students are admitted to certain colleges on certificate.

In 1899 the first class, consisting of two members, was graduated. The total number of graduates is 477, forty-eight of whom have graduated from college, and eleven are now in college, there being four in the University of Maine, two in Bowdoin, one in Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one in Springfield, one in Colby, one in Jackson and one in Wheaton. Many of the graduates have received normal school or business school diplomas.

The school now numbers 116 pupils. Besides the six regular teachers, there is a special teacher for music, one for domestic science, and one for manual training.

Thus from the seed sown in 1889 and nurtured amid the storm and the sunshine of four decades, has spring up and developed the institution whose salutary influence is showing itself in no unmistakable manner throughout the town.  We are all justly proud of our high school.  Let us leave this place with this feeling stimulated by the sentiments born of the occasion.  Let us appreciate more keenly than ever how vitally necessary it is to the welfare of the Town of York that our educational system must not stand still, must not retrograde, must progress.

SECTION II (1930 - 1978)

Section I is taken from a research project in Po;tical and Legal Studies by 
Matthew Wagner Class of 2007

            The start of the 1929-1930 school year witnessed a very different school than in 1889. The school had changed radically in the last ten years alone. The high school got its first set of  reference books, York athletic program began in 1923 with football, basketball, baseball, tennis and track; Cross Country started in 1928 when there were not enough boys for the football team. An electric bell was installed in 1925; even 1-2 hours of homework did not start until 1927. Outside York High school a lot else was going on: the war to end all wars had just ended, the car were becoming popular thanks to Mr. Ford, and the roaring twenties came to a screeching halt right as the school year was getting underway.

            Yet, surprisingly, while the country shut itself down the thirties marked a period of growth at York High School. At the start of the century York High School was still a small three story brick building on Organug Road with no auditorium or gym. If you look closely at York Middle School, past all the renovations you can see the original build on the far left underneath the bell tower. After years a cramped classrooms and dim electric lights that must have made the school feel like a cave the high school got a much needed expansion. In 1931 the doors on a new gym, auditorium and classrooms swung open to receive a student body of just 150 students. The rest of the century marked even more growth at York High school, a flag pole was erected in 1932, hot lunch was served for the first time in 1934, in 1935 the school got a parking lot to go along with its new building, a concession was set up at basketball games in 1936 and a curtain was put up over the stage in the auditorium; finally bleachers were installed in the gym in 1937. Of course there was more than just physical growth at York High School, as more and more students began enrolling they were met with newer challenges and activities. In 1933 the school day was lengthened by one hour, students took the first standardized test in 1935, a school band was started in 1938 and student council and Cross Country (for the second time) started up in 1939.  

            York High School continued to grow into the forties, by 1942 the school had already outgrown the still new building. With 257 students enrolled, the school couldn’t wait any longer for a new building. The school day was split up into two sections, half of the student body went to school in the morning and the other half went in the afternoon. This two session day ended in 1944 with the opening of yet another addition to the existing building. Busses also started their routes in 1944, another funny sight at York High School for the first time in 1944 were seventh and eighth graders which because of the new build had been moved to the high school. York ended out the century with a bang, in 1949 Cross Country were state champions, drivers ed started and the school year was extended to 180 days.  

            Nothing was ever big enough for York, in less than ten years York High School had again outgrown its building. In 1951 two more classrooms opened up but it wasn’t enough. In 1952 the high school went back to two session days until more rooms opened after Christmas. Still the student body continued to grow with every year. In a building meant for just 400 people, 447 students somehow managed to fit in 1959. Lucky the very next year seventh and eight grades were moved out of the building and the number of students dropped to 270.

            With the growth of York High School seemingly squelched for the moment the sixties took hold of the school. The school began to expand academically. German was the first foreign language to be taught in 1961 along with the start of adult education. Next was calculus which started in 1962.  Work study began in 1965, surprisingly art finally started in 1966 the same year the first calculator was brought to York High School. Then again with growth and expansion. In 1963 a Junior high was opened up and the freshman class was transferred there. Two sessions started again even with only three grades at the school. A product of the sixties the first Drug and Alcohol Abuse course was taught in 1968. York High School closed out the sixties with the addition of a familiar face. Mr. Watters started teaching at York in 1968, at the end of the 2007 school year that would make an impressive 39 years of teaching at York High School and still strong.

            Not to far behind, Mr. Clark began teaching in 1971 which makes 36 years at York. To no ones surprise York High School continued to grow beyond its walls, again maximizing the buildings capacity of 400 students in 1973. This in no way hindered York’s student body, with girls filed hockey starting in 1971,  girls Cross Country and boys ski team in 1974, golf and cross country skiing in 1974, and stage band in 1975. If 447 students in 1959 was bad, it was desperate in 1976 York High School had over 500 students enrolled. In 1976 and 77 York High School added three more teachers you might recognize, Mr. Southard who teaches at the middle school now, Mr. Phipps and Mr. Cole. Finally York High School got what it needed, its current building on Long Sands Road opened up in 1977. In 1978 York High school had a lot to celebrate besides a still new school, it was graded one of the top schools in Maine, hockey was offered through the York Youth Hockey Program and Kathy Calo a York High School student captured the Junior Olympic Javelin title. 1978 was also the year our principal Mr. Stevens started working here.

More to Come

This page still under construction!!!

If you have any history of York High School which you could add, please contact the Web Master by