Newest Wellsville Floodwall Mural

Pictured here is the newest addition to the Wellsville's floodwall murals. It's nearly completed with only the name of the sponsor to be added. It's a painting of the Gothic looking old school building that was demolished more than 50 years ago. The building that replaced it opened in 1955.

The building was at first called the Central School back when it was dedicated on September 10, 1880. Later on it was renamed to McDonald School in honor of long time Wellsville School Superintendent James L. McDonald. It was first named Central because, for the first time in nearly three decades, it housed all 12 grades in one location.

The second school in Wellsville to centrally locate all the grades in one building was known as the Union School. In 1850 state legislatures passed a law that Ohio residents would be taxed to provide a structured education for their children. That law was called the Union School Law. The citizens of Wellsville built Union School at today's 6th & Washington Sts. With Wellsville's booming population growth in those days it wasn't long before the number of students was too many to have all the grades housed in one building. The railroad first came to Wellsville in 1843 bringing with it a tremendous growth to businesses and passenger traffic.

When the Union School proved too small to handle all the student's, classrooms were added to the school district in at least three different buildings around town. There were some grades housed in the Leonard Building that was located where today's Pizza Hut stands. Two houses on 9th Street where the McDonald School now sits were also used for class rooms. That is the home of the LSW Industrial company today.

A Civil War veteran, James McDonald came to town in 1870. He was simply called "The Professor" before he resigned as Superintendent of Schools in 1909. It is written that one of the first goals given to him by the School Board was to figure out what could be done about the over crowded class rooms. He went about campaigning for a new, larger school building. In 1879 city voters passed a levy raising $40,000 to do just that at 9th & Center. That $40,000 building is the one shown in the newest mural. McDonald had served 39 years by the time he resigned in 1909 to take the job as Wellsville Post Master. He died in 1915 at the age of 74 and his body was laid to rest in Spring Hill Cemetery.

We believe this mural was sponsored by the WHS Class of '58. By the time we got to roaming the streets of Wellsville this building's demolition must have already been in the planning stages. At that age it was still being used for classrooms but from the outside it was dark, dingy and a little scary to look at.

Now you know the story of the newest mural. Gina is busy getting the next mural done. Do you remember the SOHIO gas station at 3rd & Lisbon Sts? It was a different building long before the station became B.P. It was a full service gas station that goes back to the days when you didn't have to get out of your car to get fuel.

ole nib