High Point Central High School is a
public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
located in
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city in the Piedmont Triad region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Most of the city is in Guilford County, with parts extending into Randolph, Davidson, and Forsyth counties. High Point is North Carolina's only city that ...
. The school has a population of approximately 1,237 (2020–2021) students in 9th–12th grades. The school's offerings include
Advanced Placement classes and the
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB D ...
degree program.
History
The High Point City Schools were established in 1897, but there was not a distinct high school until "High Point High School" was founded in 1926. The current building was erected in 1927, on what was formerly the High Point city fair grounds, and is the oldest high school in
Guilford County
Guilford County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population is 541,299, making it the third-most populous county in North Carolina. The county seat, and largest municipality, is Greensboro. S ...
. It is an example of
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...
, with three floors and four towers. Charles F. Thomlinson was the Chairman of the school board when High Point High School was built. He was the first person to have a vision for what High Point High School should be like. In 1927, T. Wingate Andrews (Superintendent of High Point City Schools) presided over the dedication of the building. In 1968, High Point's
William Penn High School closed. In response to that, a new second high school in High Point,
T. Wingate Andrews High School, opened around that same time, ending High Point's era of school segregation. High Point High School was renamed "High Point Central High School" around 1962, and is so named today.
Campus
Building
![Pemican (1960) page 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Pemican_%281960%29_page_2.jpg)
The current building was completed in 1927 and designed by Greensboro architect Harry Barton, in
Collegiate Gothic style. The building was considered the grandest educational building in the state and was modern for its time. The building was decorated in tapestry brick with terracotta architectural ornamentation. The halls on the interior of the building had tile and terrazzo floors, intricate plaster moldings and ceiling medallions with cherubs, fine woodworking and custom cabinetry.
![High Point High School aerial view 1962](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/High_Point_High_School_aerial_view_1962.png)
High Point High School was also outfitted with modern technological innovations for its time including a central vacuum system, and an innovative heating and air conditioning system. The three Gothic entrance towers, each four stories high, held an ice bin. Large fans circulated the cool air from the ice bins throughout the school. The melt water was intended to be used in the several water fountains throughout the campus.
Grounds
The grounds of High Point High School were landscaped by prominent landscape architect Earl S. Draper, who had also designed the High Point suburb of Emerywood. The campus had a network of sidewalks, complemented by oak trees and shrubbery. The campus also had hedges surrounding the eastern and northern boundaries of the campus along Ferndale Boulevard and the sports field. A driveway for cars and buses ran along the front of the school and was cased by a grand gateway built of tapestry brick, and cast stone ornamentation. Sadly, much of the cast stone ornamentation was lost over the years to vandalism. The sports ground originally included a tennis court, baseball field, and a track and field. Over the years, it has grown to include a large gymnasium and an expanded tennis court.
Additions
In 1957, a new gymnasium was built on the sports ground, while a new cafeteria building was built in the rear courtyard of the main building. In 1962, a three-story addition was added to the northwestern section of the school. This addition provided numerous classrooms and two modern science laboratories: a chemistry lab and a physics lab. In 1975, new windows were installed to replace the energy inefficient ones. The elegant gothic carved doors and transoms were gradually removed from the buildings main entrance in favor of new metal doors from 1977 to 1981.
High Point Central High School was extensively renovated in 2002. A new air conditioning system was installed after several heat waves occurred during the previous years, while the original radiators were scrapped. The ornate plaster ceilings were removed on all floors except for the first floor hall way in front of the theater in favor of cheap, drop-down, foam ceiling tiles. In 2003, a red awning was installed over the entrance of tower four. An aluminum covered walkway was also installed to provide shelter to the elementary students walking from the neighboring Tomlinson Montessori School, to the cafeteria for their lunch. In the late 2000s Tomlinson Montessori vacated their school building and High Point Central moved several classes to the building. The Academy at Central now occupies the Tomlinson Building. In 2010, funds were appropriated for the construction of a new addition and renovations to the 1957 gymnasium. The addition of a new cafeteria was completed in 2017, and a new media center now occupies the old cafeteria building.
Academics
High Point Central High is home to a strong International Baccalaureate program and Advanced Placement program. These programs offer students vigorous courses and college credit. Honors courses and College preparation courses are also offered as well. High Point Central High School's IB program is the only IB program offered in High Point and was established in 1995. AP courses have been offered at High Point Central since the 1970s.
Notable alumni
*
Heather Bergsma
Heather Bergsma (''née'' Richardson; born March 20, 1989) is an American former speed skater who competed between 2006 and 2020.
Career
Bergsma is a native of North Carolina. She represented the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vanc ...
, speed skater, represented the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
at the
Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
winning a bronze medal, gold medalist at
World Speed Skating Championships
The International Skating Union organises the following World Championships in the sport of speed skating:
Records
World Allround
Men
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Women
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Junior
; Multiple champions (overall ...
*
James Betterson
James Thomas Betterson (born August 20, 1954) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Car ...
, former
NFL running back with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
*
James H. Burnley IV
James Horace Burnley IV (born July 30, 1948) is an American politician and lawyer. He served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 1987 until 1989, during the administration of President Ronald Reagan. He is a partner at Venab ...
, politician and lawyer
*
Dick Culler
Richard Broadus Culler (January 15, 1915 – June 16, 1964), known outside of professional baseball by his middle name, was an American pro baseball player who appeared in 472 Major League games (primarily as a shortstop) for the Philadelphia A ...
, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
player
*
Butch Estes
George "Butch" Estes (born June 14, 1949) is a men's basketball coach. He previously served as the head coach at Presbyterian College and Furman University. Estes resigned from Furman in March 1994, after finishing the 1993–94 season with a 9†...
, men's
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
head coach
*
Anthony Dean Griffey, opera singer
*
J. D. Hayworth
John David Hayworth Jr. (born July 12, 1958) is an American television host and former politician. He served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2007 from Arizona's 5th Congressional District. He curr ...
,
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
political commentator, author, and former
Representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
of Arizona's
5th
Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five.
Fifth or The Fifth may refer to:
* Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth"
* Fifth column, a political term
* Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...
and
6th congressional districts
*
Ray Hayworth
Raymond Hall Hayworth (January 29, 1904 – September 25, 2002) was an American professional baseball player, manager and scout. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball between and , most notably as a member of the Detroit Tigers team ...
, former
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
catcher
*
Sammy Johnson, former NFL running back with the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
,
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
, and
Green Bay Packers
*
The Lucas Bros, Academy Award-nominated writers and producers of ''
Judas and the Black Messiah
''Judas and the Black Messiah'' is a 2021 biographical film, biographical crime film, crime drama (film and television), drama film about the betrayal of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Pan ...
''
*
Jenn Lyon
Jennifer Lyon is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Jennifer Husser on the TNT series ''Claws'' (2017), Mackenzie Bradford-Lopez on the FX sitcom ''Saint George'' (2014), and Lindsey Salazar on the FX drama '' Justified'' ( ...
, actress
*
Germaine Pratt
Germaine Pratt (born May 21, 1996) is an American football linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at NC State, and was drafted by the Bengals in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft ...
, NFL linebacker
*
Tony Shaver, men's college basketball head coach
*
Corbin Waller
Corbin Waller (born March 26, 1985 in High Point, North Carolina) is a former American soccer player.
Career
College and amateur
Waller attended High Point Central High School and youth soccer with the PSA Stars before going on to play four yea ...
, former professional
soccer player
*
Tim Ward, NFL defensive end for the
New York Jets
*
Drew Weaver, professional golfer having played on the
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour (stylized in all capital letters as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also ...
*
Harry Williamson,
middle-distance track runner, made the
Olympic final of the
800 metres
The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...
in 1936
North Carolina high school athletes who later became Olympians
. ''NCPrepTrack.com''. Retrieved Aug 14, 2020.
References
External links
Official website
{{authority control
Public high schools in North Carolina
Educational institutions established in 1897
International Baccalaureate schools in North Carolina
Schools in Guilford County, North Carolina
Buildings and structures in High Point, North Carolina
1897 establishments in North Carolina