About this property
Natrona County High School (NCHS) is a public secondary school (grades 9–12) located in Casper, Wyoming, United States. It serves Natrona County School District #1, which encompasses all of Natrona County, Wyoming. The school remains a rival of Kelly Walsh High School, one of Casper's other two high schools along with Roosevelt High School. A fourth nearby high school is Midwest School in Midwest, Wyoming. Natrona County High School was originally known as Casper High School. The current building was constructed between 1924 and 1941 in Collegiate Gothic style. It was partially built under the authority of the Works Progress Administration; the crest of the WPA is visible in the sidewalks on the front campus. In exchange for federal assistance, male student participation in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps was mandatory until a few years after Kelly Walsh High School opened in 1965. The JROTC at NCHS is the second oldest unit in the nation and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2014. The International Thespian Society, originally called National Thespians, was founded in 1929 in Fairmont, West Virginia by Dr. Paul Opp, Earnest Bavely, and Harry T. Leeper. It honored high school theater students who participated in their school programs. The first troupe was started by Dr. Earl Blank at Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming. The school's swimming pool was built in 1929, making it the first indoor pool for educational purposes in the state. It was demolished in 2014 during renovations to the building. A new swimming pool was opened up during the 2021 – 2022 school year. Natrona County High School was the first campus for Casper College, a community college also located in Natrona County Wyoming, which occupied the upper level of NCHS in the late 1940s, before it had a campus of its own. Natrona County High School was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 1, 1994. In 2010–2011 the Natrona County School District began the process of a major re-design to reconfigure the site and renovate the historic building. In early 2012 the state allocated $118 million for the design and construction of the NCHS renovations and expansion. In July 2012 the state released funds for the design, with construction funds to be released in 2013. In August 2012 preliminary concepts for the design of the renovated school were presented to the community by Bassetti Architects. Dean Kelly resigned as principal in September 2014 after a school district investigation into sexual harassment complaints resulting from a skit performed during hazing and initiation of new teachers before the start of the school year. Kelly did not take part in or directly approve the skit, but took responsibility as the head administrator. Kelly Hornby, executive director for curriculum instruction in Natrona County School District #1, filled the role as Acting Principal following the resignation of Dean Kelly.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Natrona County High School
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Questions about this property
When was Natrona County High School listed on the National Register?
Natrona County High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1994.
What type of historic resource is Natrona County High School?
Natrona County High School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Natrona County High School?
The period of significance for Natrona County High School is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Natrona County High School?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Natrona County High School will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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