North Birmingham Elementary School

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North Birmingham Elementary School
North Birmingham School.jpg
Active 19082012
School type Public
District North Birmingham (1908-1910)
Birmingham (1910-2012)
Grades K-5
Colors
Mascot
Location 2620 35th Avenue North, (map)
Birmingham

North Birmingham Elementary School was an elementary school in the Birmingham City Schools system located at 2620 35th Avenue North in North Birmingham.

The first school on the site was constructed by the City of North Birmingham in 1908. The former Birmingham Country Club clubhouse behind the school was used as a lunchroom.

North Birmingham was annexed into Birmingham by the Greater Birmingham legislation which took effect in 1910. The present red-brick school building was constructed in 1923 to designs by the noted Birmingham firm of Warren Knight & Davis.

The school building was damaged by fire in the spring of 1929. The damaged section was replaced with a new 2-story concrete and brick structure at a cost of $82,475 that fall. Warren Knight & Davis provided the plans and the contract was awarded to W. A. Horton. Further additions were completed in 1930 and 1950. In 1958 a lunch room was constructed at the school, replacing the former frame clubhouse that had served as a lunchroom previously. Evan Terry designed the $57,583 addition built by Perusini Construction. A major renovation was undertaken at the school in 1978, including dropped ceilings with new lighting and tinted windows to help conserve energy.

Under a school consolidation plan proposed by acting superintendent Barbara Allen and approved by the Board, North Birmingham Elementary would have closed in the Summer of 2010 with students transferring to Lewis Elementary School. That consolidation was postponed until 2012.

In 2022 U.S. Representative Terri Sewell secured $3 million in federal funding for restoration of North Birmingham Elementary School to promote its re-use as a community anchor. The city worked with Poole and Co. Architects to develop plans to renovate the building for senior housing. One possibility discussed was opening a new neighborhood street behind the school for easier access to North Birmingham Park. In 2024 the Birmingham Department of Community Development sought proposals from private developers for an adaptive re-use of the school building.

Principals

References

  • Samuel, Sally (March 28, 1957) "Area schools are improved." The Birmingham News, p. 14
  • Stallworth, Clarke (November 16, 1957) "School projects may get going." Birmingham Post-Herald,
  • "The List" (February 26, 2008) The Birmingham News
  • Pillion, Dennis (September 9, 2022) "North Birmingham gets $3M to redevelop, clean up ‘environmental injustice’." The Birmingham News
  • Crocker, Steve (April 12, 2023) "Birmingham considers converting former elementary school into senior living facility." WBRC.com