{"id":3545,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:58:11","latitude":46.008569637458322176826186478137969970703125,"longitude":-112.533203601706190966069698333740234375,"title":"Butte High School","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/48dd592f91fc9c510623f7a67f0d1aad.jpg","address":"","all_locations":[],"zoom":16,"creator":["Story of Butte"],"description":"Butte’s first high school, the Central School, opened in 1884 on East Granite Street, east of Arizona. A trestle was built so students who lived on the east side of Dublin Gulch could cross the gulch to attend school. The first pupil graduated from this school in 1886. The building later became the Washington School.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nIn 1894 construction began on the new Butte High School on the corner of Galena and Idaho Streets. It was completed on December 12, 1896 and the first graduating class, 57 students, was in 1898. The building was completely destroyed by fire in 1946 while serving Webster Elementary students who had been displaced by a fire in their own building.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe site for the next new high school was on South Wyoming Street, the site of the current high school. Construction began in 1936, and the school opened in 1938 to 2,000 students. Although some minor updates were made to the structure, by 1965 the school was badly in need of major renovation.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe local fire department finally declared the school unsafe because of fire violations. Three safety studies were completed between 1965 and 1985, but no action was taken. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nAn initial bond proposal to bring the building up to code failed in 1986 but finally passed in 1988. Voters approved $11 million to begin the long overdue renovation, and the Urban Revitalization Agency contributed $5 million. The project was completed in 1996. A later renovation of Naranche Stadium was completed in 2011.","sponsor":"Superfund Advisory and Redevelopment Trust Authority and The Foundation for Montana History","accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":["<p><em>Where We Went to School, 1866-2015</em><strong>, </strong>Wilma Blewett Puich</p>"],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/48dd592f91fc9c510623f7a67f0d1aad.jpg":{"id":5836,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Central School, 1884-1896","description":"Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/48dd592f91fc9c510623f7a67f0d1aad.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/9cc997a0c2aef8049bbbfc0157308245.jpg":{"id":5837,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Butte High School, 1896-1938","description":"Corner of Galena and Idaho Streets | Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/9cc997a0c2aef8049bbbfc0157308245.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/e37483fe4a53bba1d7556f6f4ba0a718.jpg":{"id":5838,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Butte High School, 1938","description":"South Wyoming Street | Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/e37483fe4a53bba1d7556f6f4ba0a718.jpg"},"https://storyofbutte.org/files/fullsize/549f89cb914ec884a1adb11e4b6fcf4b.jpg":{"id":5839,"mime-type":"image/png","title":"Butte High School, 1989-Present","description":"Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives","thumbnail":"https://storyofbutte.org/files/square_thumbnails/549f89cb914ec884a1adb11e4b6fcf4b.jpg"}}}