Seattle grew fast in the 1880s. Denny School was overcrowded from the day it opened in 1884 in what was then Seattle's north end. Two wings were soon added to hold additional classrooms. The west wing was torn down in 1911 when part of Denny Hill was regraded. Classes continued in the rest of the building until 1928, when it was torn down during the final regrading of the hill.
In June 1928, former teachers and students of Denny School gathered for a reunion shortly before the building was demolished. The first reunion, on Friday June 15, was so successful that a second gathering was held the following Friday. A photographer was invited to the June 22 reunion to take a photograph of the group against the backdrop of the school, the oldest public school in Seattle at that time. At the event, the Denny Alumni Association was formed, charged with creating a roster of attendees of the school. A partial roster of teachers and pupils who attended the school was published in the July 24, 1928 Seattle Daily Times.
Shown here is the panoramic group photograph taken of Denny School teachers and students at the June 22 reunion.
Handwritten on image: Reunion of Students and Teachers of the Old Denny School from 1884 to 1893. Photo made June 22nd, 1928. Copyright Pierson Photo Co.
Caption information source: "School Bell Will Ring Again Tomorrow for Denny Pupils of Years Long Gone By," Seattle Daily Times, June 21, 1928. p. 12; "Roster of Denny Students to be Compiled", Seattle Daily Times, June 24, 1928. p. 12
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 39 x 7.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
Credit: MOHAI, 1980.7039.2, photo by Pierson Photo Co.
