Monroe School (Phoenix, Arizona)

Monroe School a.k.a. Monroe High School, is a historic school in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 26, 1977. The building no longer houses a school, instead it now houses the Children's Museum of Phoenix.

Monroe School
(Children's Museum of Phoenix)
Monroe School
(Children's Museum of Phoenix)
Location215 N. 7th St.
Coordinates33.48°N 112.185278°W / 33.48; -112.185278
Built1914
ArchitectNorman F. Marsh
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.77000237[1]
Added to NRHPAugust 26, 1977

History

The school was built in 1914, at 215 N. 7th St. in Phoenix. The three-story brick building, designed by Los Angeles architect Norman Foote Marsh in 1913, was built in the architecture style known as Neoclassical architecture. When the school officially opened its doors in 1914, it was the largest elementary school west of the Mississippi.[note 1][2] [3] [4] [5]

Throughout the years the building served as an educational institution for thousands of children. Eventually, the urban-renewal projects of the 1960s was a factor which played an important role in the resettlement of many families to new areas. Thus there was a depletion of the school's enrollment. The school closed its doors as an educational institution in 1972.[2][3][5][4]

On August 26, 1977, Monroe School was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, reference #77000237. The building was later used as a Department of Defense recruiting center after it went through some remodeling, however, in 1998, the building closed its doors once again.[2][3][5][4]

Children's Museum of Phoenix

In 1998, a small group of volunteers founded the Phoenix Family Museum. The group found support from the Phoenix Legislature who approved $10.5 million in bond funds to purchase and partially renovate the historic Monroe School. The renovation of the building began in 2006. The school became the new home of the Phoenix Family Museum which was renamed "Children's Museum of Phoenix" on June 14, 2008, the same day that the museum opened its doors to the public.[2][3][5]

Inside the museum there were many exhibits and activities which encourage an interaction between parents and children. Included is a whole wall of glittery CDs suspended from the ceiling. Among the activities which both parents and children can participate is what is known as the "Noodle Forest", which consists of a thicket of towering Styrofoam tubes.[2][3][5] In 2015, the Children's Museum of Phoenix was recognized as one of the top three children's museums in the United States.[6]

Museum mission

According to the museum's head staff, the mission of the museum is the following:[2][3][5]

Provide engaging projects, exhibits and programming for young children and their families;

Educate parents and caregivers about child development and parenting techniques;
Build cultural understanding, positive social interaction, and celebrate diversity; and

Serve as a gateway to other cultural institutions and community programs.
Monroe School
Children's Museum of Phoenix
Monroe School-1914
  • Monroe School
  • Monroe School - Children's Museum of Phoenix
  • Looking up the original 1914 staircase.
  • Looking down the original 1914 staircase.
  • The Noodle Forest.
  • Children playing with educational building blocks

See also

Notes
  1. Definition (expr.) in the western United States; an antiquated expression used to divide the US in two halves at the Mississippi River.

References
  1. Asset Detail
  2. Monroe School Alumni Project
  3. Arizona Room Monroe School
  4. NRHP
  5. About the Museum/Mission History
  6. "The 25 Best American Children's Museums". Early Childhood Education Zoon. October 9, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
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