Historical Landmark - 528 S. Eddy Street

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528 S. Eddy Historical Context This property is located on the northeast corner of Eddy Street and South Street, in South Bend, Indiana. It is described as being a tract of land 898' on Eddy Street x 1129.03' deep in the southwest 1/4 section 7.37-2E, containing approximately 19.96 acres in South Bend. This is a brick, Neo Classical Style, Elementary School Building which was constructed in 1930 and was designed by local architect Ernest W. Young. The entire project from concept to construction took a total of ten years and over $300,000.00 to complete. The Jefferson School was built as an attempt to absorb the population explosion occurring in the Sunnymede area. The school was dedicated on January 30, 1931 by Samuel Pettengill, Congressman elect of the 13th District and Frank Mayr Jr., Secretary of State. W.W. Borden, Superintendent of Schools, named Elmer Cook as the first principle of the new school. Mr. Cook arrived in South Bend in 1923 and was appointed principle of Perley Elementary school in 1925 and served as assistant superintendent from 1928 to 1930. The structure contained seventeen classrooms to house 750 students. It was also the first school to incorporate a third floor "Fresh Air" room for undernourished children as part of its original construction. By the second semester of 1931 the school had grown to encompass a seventh grade bringing the total student population to around 900. The school continued to grow until it housed kindergarten through ninth grade reaching an enrollment of 1100. The school experienced a total of three major additions to accommodate the new grades. The first addition occurred in 1937 when seven rooms were added, including a library and home economic rooms. The second addition was added in 1953, just after the removal of the ninth grade. This addition included a lunchroom and kitchen. The third addition was constructed in 1962, it added five classrooms, a gymnasium, shop and administrative offices including nurses quarters. The structure continues to this day to educate the young children of South Bend, particularly those from the Sunnymede area. 1 ,i ~~sr E l ? ' ~9 ~~