Las Vegas Grammar School
a.k.a. Westside School
Washington and D Sts., Las Vegas, NVThe history of Westside School has great historical significance in that it is Las Vegas's oldest remaining schoolhouse. It was the original "Branch No. 1, Las Vegas Grammar School". The original building, the one proposed for renovation through this funding was built in 1922, at Washington and "D" Streets. The original building consisted of just two classrooms--the front two rooms of the existing structure. The back two rooms that make up the building were added in 1928.
The school was built on land donated to the Clark County School District by Helen J. Stewart in 1921. The first two rooms contained lst and 2nd grades only and the two remaining rooms added in 1928 housed 3rd and 4th grades. The first principal of the school was Ms. Ruth Fyfe who served from 1924-1935.
The second principal of the school was Mr. Howard A. Wasden, who served from 1935-1942. It is interesting to note that there were no black students at the school in its early days. The first black students were in attendance in 1926-27. Some early students of note who attended the Westside School included Dr. Sam Davis and Mrs. Mendoza, mother of District Judge John Mendoza.
It should also be noted that the original building was painted grey, not the pink color that it is now. The Westside School location is also historically significant as the original Las Vegas town site.
In 1948, eight block classrooms were added to the school complex, under the construction supervision of Mr. Ben 0. Davey. The facility as it now stands is a partially wood frame and partially concrete block and is situated on a 2.6-acre parcel. The school was phased out for use on June 8, 1967--the last principal being Mr. D. French--and on November 24, 1974, the School Board of Trustees declared it to be surplus property and adopted a resolution to sell at its appraised market value of $25,000.
In the spring of 1975, the Economic Opportunity Board received $37,500 from 1st Year Community Development Block Grant funds from the City of Las Vegas. $25,000 was spent to purchase the facility and the remaining $12,500 was used for the preliminary restoration of the block structure.
The Westside School is significant to the Black Community of Las Vegas from a social and education standpoint. It was the school for Black citizens; enabling many to obtain basic education and/or go on to secondary educational facilities. The community leaders of the Westside still regard the old school with affection and esteem.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.