Text by Cody and Duzie, students at Presque Isle Middle School
Edited by Presque Isle Historical Society
The original Presque Isle High School was built in 1910 on the corner of what are now Blake and Third Streets. The building was constructed of brick and was intended to be indestructible, but it caught fire in 1921. It was rebuilt in 1922. Its capacity was 250 students, but eventually served about 500. In time, Presque Isle grew and needed a larger school. In 1949, the current Presque Isle High School was built. After this facility opened in 1950, the old school was repurposed as a middle school and was renamed Cunningham Middle School in honor of Franklin Cunningham, a former principal. Skyway Middle School, located on the other side of the city, was expanded in 2005 to serve all of Presque Isle’s middle school students. Cunningham was no longer used and was demolished in March 2007. The site has been sold and is now a residential housing development. It has been named Franklin Place in honor of the site’s history.
Sources:
Graves, Dick. "A Little Cunningham History: Part 1." The Star-Herald [presque isle] 14 Mar. 2007.
Graves, Dick. "The Little Cunningham School, Part 2." The Star-Herald [presque isle] 21 Mar. 2007.
McCarty, Kathy. "City Bids Farwell to Old Friend.” The Star-Herald [presque isle] 21 Mar. 2007.
Rice, Rachel. "Star City Council OKs School Demolition Bid." The Star-Herald [presque isle] 7 Feb. 2007.