history of the “Red Brick” Schoolhouse
Red Brick School, photo circa 1930
(The former Dover High School, built in 1923, stood to the right of the Red
Brick,
in what is now the parking lot of Lee Burneson Middle School.)
In May of 1908, the citizens of Dover Township voted
and passed a bond issue that funded the construction of a new schoolhouse. The building was built on what had been a
fairgrounds on Dover Center Road at the cost of $11,840.
The first consolidated school building in western
Cuyahoga County, the “Red Brick” opened in the fall of 1909 with four
classrooms, on two floors, and a basement.
Then known as “Dover School”, the building served to educate grades
Kindergarten through twelve.
In May of 1917, Dover Township once again passed a
levy to fund the construction of an addition to the back of the building, which
added four more classrooms, increasing the usable space to over 16,000 square
feet. This expansion cost taxpayers $17, 419 and was completed in the spring of
1918.
In 1923 a new Dover High School was opened, on the
site of what is now Lee Burneson Middle School.
It was then that grades seven through twelve moved to the new building,
and grades Kindergarten through six remained in the “Red Brick”.
Throughout the years, the “Red Brick” has served our
community in a variety of ways. Every
one of today’s Westlake Schools originally “opened” in the “Red Brick”. As each new building’s construction was
completed, students began fall term in the “Red Brick“, and then moved to their
new schools; first Dover High School in 1923, and finally Bassett Elementary in
1968.
From then on, the “Red Brick” served as the
administration offices of the Westlake Board of Education, until they moved to
their current location at the corner of Dover Center and Hilliard Roads in the
spring of 2003. Since that time, the
building has remained vacant.
Soon we will be able to celebrate the centennial
anniversary of the “Red Brick’s” opening.
Once at the geographic and cultural center of Dover Township, this old
gem of a building has served our community for generations and stands as
testament to the values of the people who built it.
Our goal is to preserve and
yet transform the “Red Brick”, allowing it to continue its mission of service
and education…
… this time in the arts.
Kindergarten class, photo circa early
1950’s, second floor, interior view.
(These original doors, windows and hard wood floors are still intact today.)