On Tuesday, September 8, 1959, the new Cheltenham High School opened in Wyncote to approximately 1,400 students.

According to local historian Chuck Langerman, the new school cost $6,390,000, and was considered state-of-the-art at the time. The building consisted of 54 classrooms, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a 10,000-volume library, a 1,200-seat auditorium, a gymnasium with seating for 1,600, music rooms, shops, and a “model kitchen” for home economics.

The outside grounds had a football field, a track with a 220-yard straightaway, two baseball diamonds, 12 tennis courts, and practice fields.

If you have memories of the high school’s early years, Chuck asks that you share them in Facebook comments.

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