Two Sites for School Meet Favor

Marietta Daily Times, April 16, 1923

That the survey commission from the extension department of Ohio State University will recommend at least two possible sites for location of Marietta's proposed new high school building is learned from good authority, and it is expected that a formal report will be made to Superintendent Skinner and the Board of Education during the present week. One of the locations is on Seventh Street near the end of Tupper Street extension, and the other is on what is commonly known as Cisler's hill, on the east side of Seventh Street opposite the Marietta chair company plant.

The commission is said to have given first choice to the site at the head of Tupper Street and this would include the J. S. Goebel place with portions of both the Bartlett Estate and the Thomas Cisler homestead. The commission is very favorable impressed with this site, describing it as one of the best for high school purposes to be found in the state of Ohio.

Goebel Place Too Small

The Goebel property in itself would not be quite large enough for a High site and the additional ground would embrace a narrow strip off of the Southeast side of Beverly Place - the Bartlett estate - and a good plat of ground from the Cisler place to the north of the Cisler brick plant.

The second available site advised by the commission, on Cisler's hill, is described as ideal for the needs of the occasion, except that the approaches to it would have to be more elaborate and their construction would mean an expenditure of more money than would be required for similar work on the other site. It likely would mean the building of a viaduct either from Putnam Street hill or from Butler Street, either of which would lead directly to the proposed school grounds.

Cisler Hill Advocated

There has been a feeling for some time that the Cisler hill site is the logical one for the proposed high school, and its advocates have had a double purpose in mind. The opening of this territory by construction of a viaduct or other similar approach would make available a fine lot of building territory almost in the heart of the city and would give prospective home builders a chance for an outlet that long has been needed.

Walnut Hills and the territory adjoining it on both sides would afford building space for hundreds of homes, as the ridge winds around a half-circle and drops down to the rear of Norwood a distance of considerably more than a mile.

Approach is Great Need

All that is needed to open up this territory and make it highly desirable is a suitable approach from the main part of the city, and the high school project worked out to this end would result in a broad-gauge civic improvement of far-reaching effect upon the whole city, it is felt by friends of the plan.

Various surveys that have been made by postal employes, the census bureau and other agencies in the past have show the center of population of Marietta community to be in the vicinity of Putnam and Sixth streets, so that the findings of the University Commission in its work a week ago but affirms the fact, and the selection of one of the sites to be recommended would appear to be logical.