RECENT COMMENTS

Building a new Armstrong High School

The construction of Armstrong High School (February 6, 1952) (via the Adolph B. Rice collection).

From the RPS history of Armstrong High School:

In September 1952, Armstrong High School moved to its present location on Church Hill, adjacent to Oakwood Cemetery. The new building (42 classrooms, shops, homemaking and commercial education rooms, auditorium, gymnasium, cafeteria, and library) made it possible to offer an expanded and more comprehensive curriculum to the students in grades 7-12. (Graves Junior High School was then organized at the West Leigh Street site.)

Once again, Armstrong’s new quarters were immediately crowded, subsequently leading to the use of modular classrooms and a system of staggered openings/closings. Therefore elementary schools were soon forced to retain the seventh grade, and the eighth grade was diverted to the East End building when it became available.

Renovations in 1966 enlarged Armstrong’s kitchen and cafeteria; a two-phase air conditioning program was carried out in 1969 and 1982.

In October 1980, the School Board granted the request of the East End Think Action Committee to name the Armstrong gymnasium for an Armstrong graduate and long-time coach, the late Maxie Cleveland Robinson. […]

In Summer 2004, the school board issued a consolidation work plan for East-End area schools. Armstrong was one of the schools included in this consolidation. Armstrong High School has been combined with John F. Kennedy High School, located on 2300 Cool Lane, and now goes by New Armstrong.