Garinger High School
This history project focuses on Garinger High School, formally recognized as Dr. Elmer H. Garinger High School. With this, the intent is to give a rundown of the school's history, its historical significance to Optimist Park, and the general Charlotte area.
Introduction
Garinger High 1960
Ties to Charlotte Area
Both prominent figures in the Charlotte area, Odell and Garinger played key roles in the creation of Garinger High School. From the design of the buildings to the creation of the opportunity to create an entirely fresh curriculum for an entirely new school, both these men have left a lasting impact on Charlotte through their contributions to Garinger High School.
Odell was a strong proponent of Modernism techniques throughout his career as an architect. A native of Concord, NC, Odell brought his passion for Modernism with him when he moved to Charlotte. Many of his notable projects, especially in the earlier years of his firms’ creation, displayed the notable geometric consistencies and lack of excessive ornamentation. There are many high status buildings still standing today in Charlotte that bear his mark, such as Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte Coliseum, Second Ward High School’s Gymnasium, and more. However, even with such notable creations as those, his largest project was the design and execution of plans for Garinger High School.
Originally from Missouri, Garinger moved to Charlotte in 1921 to become the first Junior High principal (Morrill). He played a significant part in the overall shaping of education in the Charlotte area, and was instrumental in the efforts to racially integrate the public schools of Charlotte in 1957. His hard work also created Charlotte College which eventually grew and became the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Frech). Garinger developed a varied curriculum that kept students busy and worked to combat misbehavior. By establishing guidance programs, encouraging team teaching, and supporting innovation in the educational field, Garinger greatly influenced the educational thinking of the Charlotte area (Frech).
History
Opened in 1959, Garinger was immediately a school that was recognized as a prime example of the standard of the time. It was a "bold local example of Modernism" and was a strong representation of the era's philosophy (Morrill). Named after an influential public school superintendent, Elmer H. Garinger, and designed by a local and regional architect, A. G. Odell, Jr., the school was inaugurated into the public school system with strong ties to influential and recognizable people of the time.
While not an active part of the first wave in the desegregation movement, Garinger High School nonetheless participated as a school within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School district. It has since seen a reversal from nearly all white to primarily black students. Along with this, Garinger was listed as a struggling school a few years back, and has ironically turned the ideals of its namesake on its head in an attempt to revive the school. Garinger was a major proponent of diverse offerings in a school and held pride in those offerings at Garinger, but the plan formulated to strengthen the school in recent years includes the breaking up of the campus into smaller satellite specialty programs.
Addition to Garinger High in 2004
Ties to Optimist Park
Optimist Park consists of Brevard, Davidson, Caldwell, Alexander, and North Meyers streets spanning from twelfth street through twenty-third street (CMHPF). Currently zoned to West Charlotte High School, Optimist Park nonetheless has a multitude of Garinger High School graduates among its current residents. As one of Charlotte’s first purely working-class suburban areas, Optimist Park was originally a primarily white neighborhood with workers at the local mills inhabiting the neighborhood.
It is highly likely that Optimist Park students were sent to Garinger and other similar schools during the mass bussing of CMS participants into other areas to further the desegregation efforts. While Optimist Park is now zoned for West Charlotte, the population of Garinger graduates within Optimist Park highlights the connection of the area and the school.
The current distribution maps for West Charlotte and Garinger High
Sources
CMHPF. "The Belmont-Villa Heights-Optimist Park Survey Area." Belmont. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.cmhpf.org/kids/neighborhoods/belmont-et-al.html>.
CMS. "Student Assignment Boundary Maps." Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. August 2015. Web. 12 March 2016.
<http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/StudentPlacement/Pages/BoundaryMaps.aspx>.
Dougherty, Ralph. "Charlotte Optimist Club." Charlotte Optimist Club. 1 May 1976. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.
<http://www.charlotteoptimists.org/member_history_archives.html>.
Frech, Laura Page. "Garinger, Elmer Henry." Garinger, Elmer Henry. NCpedia, 1986. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://ncpedia.org/biography/garinger-elmer-henry>.
"Garinger High School Addition and Renovation." Turner Construction, 2004. Web. 1 Apr. 2016.
Morrill, Dan L. "A Brief History of the Dr. Elmer H. Garinger High School." Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission. 1 February
2007. Web. 9 March 2016. <http://www.cmhpf.org/S&Rs%20Alphabetical%20Order/surveys&rgaringer.htm>.