In the early 1900’s the future site of Asbury was plains and farmland. Asbury Avenue and Asbury School were named after an English bishop, Francis Asbury. We believe that the architect designed the school with the English Tudor style partly because it was popular at the time and partly because it made a connection with Bishop Asbury. “Tudor Style” comes from the English designs on the building. For example, the knight above the main entrance and the dragons on the lights in the auditorium are examples of ties to English history. Also, the building is made of brick, which is what the English used in their building.
During the time when the school was built, 1924-25, the school board and the architects believed that there should be many windows in each classroom so that the students could look outside at the neighborhood. Twenty-five percent of wall space was designed to be windows. Originally the auditorium had many large windows, but to save energy, they covered the windows. The school district built a planned-for addition in 1927. The neighborhood was growing and more people were coming to the school. So, a gym, an auditorium and several classrooms were added and soon filled up. While parts of the building were being built, and when the school was overcrowded, portable classrooms were used.
A second addition was put on in 1947. It included four more classrooms, a new kindergarten room and a teachers’ room. The inside of the school has a lot of wood trim. It is oak and found around the ceilings, floors, windows and door frames. Also, under all the carpets and tile there are wood/oak floors. Compared to modern schools, all the wood makes the school feel more special. Originally the custodian (Mr. Shober) lived across the street in a little house on the corner of Evans and Lafayette. Before that it was the original building for the first kindergarten class. Before the most recent remodel, the kindergarten room was in the office area.
