Happy Friday once again. Today’s photo is dated September 27, 1929, and takes a look at the newly constructed Kennedy Collegiate. Designed by the local architecture firm of Cameron & Ralston, Kennedy opened in 1929 at Tecumseh & McDougall.
As is usually the case, it’s the small details in these photos that catch my eye. Any Kennedy C.I. alums out there? Anyone remember this wall along the front? When did it disappear?
To the west, the old grandstand of the former Windsor Jockey Club Horse Track can be seen. In about 1928, the Jockey Club sold their lands to the city, who established Jackson Park on the west half, and sold a portion to the school board to erect a new High School.
Looks like they hadn’t even poured the side walks when this photo was taken. Finishing touches, I’m sure.
See everyone back here Monday.
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Yes- I’m a KCI alum. Gradutated in ’94 so it wasn’t too long ago for me to remember the place. In that second pic, there is a wall along the front of the school- that isn’t there anymore and wasn’t when I was there either. Of course the school has been added on to quite a bit- on the east side there is the cafeteria and on the west side (can’t see in any of the pics), the geography wing was added. The pool is under the gym (the part of the school with the turrets on south end) and someone mentioned quite a while back that there used to be an archery range under the school somewhere on the northeast side. Possibly where they had a shelter underneath during the war years.
Also an alumnus… there was no wall there in the latter half of the 70’s [ahem].
Graduate of ’91. As Linda pointed out no wall in the 1970s.
The pool is original to the the building.
Not only did they have archery in the basement but there was a shooting range for the cadets as well. IMO, the nicest looking school in the city.
I also went to Kennedy, and I’ve been in the former archery range. It’s accessed (along with the entire basement) by a door under the stairs that go up to the gym. The actual area used as an archery range is under the long corridor that leads to the pool. Not only was it an archery range, but there are bullet holes in the far wall from when the cadets would do shooting practice in the 1930s and 1940s (or so I was told).
The entire basement under the school is fascinating, with multiple levels and winding corridors. There’s also old marching band uniforms and yearbooks just hanging around down there. You could spend hours exploring that school.
There’s a nice overhead picture in the online star of Kennedy too.
http://communities.canada.com/windsorstar/blogs/fromthevaults/default.aspx
looks like its the building is still pretty new
I went there in the mid 80’s, my grandparents went there and use to tell me stories of the school in the 30’s when they were there. I always liked the look of the school.
She’s a beauty. I happened to be leafing through late 1920s editions of the Border Cities Star a couple of years ago and read that there was considerable debate about whether to locate the school right on the road or set it back on the property. I’m glad that they chose the latter.
I agree Tristan it is one of those ideas where setting it back from the road actually does it a service whereas the plazas and crap they build today are set back for dumb parkig (instead of being at the side or at the rear of a buliding).
I graduated in 59 and the wall was still there. We were also not allowed to walk on the front lawn or use the front doors. If the Park maintenance people complained about any lunch garbage left in the park, we were banned from the park for 2 weeks. Only had to happen once in the 5 yrs I attended. In addition to being the best school in the city ( ahem) we had the largest group of best teachers. Several of the teachers I had went on to become Principals in the city.
I went to KCI as well. I was alllowed to go to the basement and noticed the holes from the ROTC. I also noticed it’s very windy! One weird thing, was a room…a dirt room with a couch aqnd a single bulb hanging on a long cord. There was a spiral staircase leading to what I think is the girls locker room!
ment to mention, one of the cooler items missing from the building are the two white towers near the front of the building. Could they be bell towers?
The wall was useful to block the view when we would smoke a few blunts at lunch hour in the ’60s.
I went to KCI in ’73-’75 and seem to recall shooting a Lee Enfield .22 in the basement range. I also remember Archie Green making us swim naked while he watched with Ray-ban sunglasses on.
My older brothers attended KCI from 75-80 – heck, I guess they weren’t kidding about their gym teacher. At one time membership in cadets was compulsory to attend the school and the range was still in use in the 70’s, as the above poster mentioned.
I attended Kennedy in the mid 80’s. During my grade 11 year there was a couple of lads who accessed the basement bomb shelter through a manhole on the outside of the school directly beside the gymnasium on the west side of the school. The cover is bolted down and they removed the bolts to gain access. I sure would love to hear there story.
Maybe i’ll go see if this is still possible, Dave. lol
I was always curious where the Horse Track was, always thought it was in present Jackson Park but judging by the direction of the grandstand the track was right where Kennedy sits. Did they really leave these massive bleachers staring at a wall for 30 years? No wonder someone torched em.
I angle the picture was taken makes the grandstand look a lot closer to the school.The grandstand was roughly where the overpass is, more inline with Windsor Stadium.
So closer to where the current cricket pitch is?
I attended KCI in the 70’s. Wonderful school and gave me a grand education. I spent many lunch hours in the basement rifle range, where we used Lee-Enfields converted to 22LR. The Army Cadet Corps associated with the school folded in 1978, i think. A victim to changing times. I visited the school in 2011 and took some pictures down in the rifle range. Lots of bullet holes.