A Look Inside Syracuse Central Tech
Earlier this month, our Southern Tier Field Consultant Janna Rudler donned her mask and made the trip to Syracuse to get a look inside the Seven to Save-listed Central Technical High School. The building has been vacant for decades, and it is not typically accessible. Many thanks to the Mayor’s office and Syracuse City School District for allowing the League to get inside. We think the photos captured that day provide a pretty compelling argument for saving this building. The plan to bring it back to active use as a state-of-the-art STEAM school doesn’t hurt either. The City of Syracuse and Onondaga County are committed to rehabilitating this beautiful building to benefit not just the city, but the entire region. This site deserves to be saved, and we look forward to working with our partners in Syracuse to help support their efforts.
All photos in this post by by Brian Pragacz.
The auditorium is one of the most impressive features of Central Tech. The school was built in 1900, welcoming students for the first time in 1903. The auditorium, named in honor of President Lincoln, was expanded in 1907 to accommodate 1,875 seats. The space is said to have excellent acoustics, and when it is restored will provide an incredible space for performances of all kinds.
The graduating class of 1975 was the last to attend Central Tech. Despite its long vacancy, the building is in surprisingly good condition. There are large classroom spaces like you see above and plenty of natural light streaming through arched windows.
Archimedes Russell was a noted Syracuse-based architect. When Central Tech was built in 1900, it represented the cutting edge of educational building design. Its Neoclassical design also boasts many intricate architectural details like you see here.
We are heartened by the community support to bring Central Tech back to life. It really is an incredible building, and with the right reinvestment, could make a real difference for the Syracuse community and the students it could serve. We look forward to seeing how this initiative moves forward. And we will of course keep you posted along the way.