Old Capitol Building-High School

The building above was built to house the Territorial Capitol building.

Prior to locating in this building, the legislative offices occupied a two story building located, by different accounts, either next to the Catholic church on Marina St. or on East Gurley St. in the "Capitol Block. " The top floor was used as offices for the legislature and the ground floor for Prescott's first "graded" school run by the sister's of St. Joseph.

I tend to think it was at the Marina location and that the building above was the first built on the "Capitol Block," a full block, the size of the plaza, that was designated to house the State Capitol by the City planners.. The street running between the Plaza and the Capitol Block was appropriately called Union Street

When the Capitol was moved to Phoenix in 1889, the building became Prescott's first High School.

In 1914, the old building was torn down and and this structure was built in it's place. In the 1930's the building was enlarged and the sixth and seventh grades from Washington School were added.

When the new High School was built on Granite Creek, this building held the Junior High School Ee and I attended in the fifties.

The back half of the Capitol block was sold off, Union street extended, and stately Victorian homes built by prominent Prescott citizens soon marched in a row up the hill. It became known as" Nob Hill" by some and "Snob Hill" by others.

Don't forget to click to enter these pictures. The structure in the right bottom corner of the first picture is the old Yavapai Club. In the last, you can see a corner of one of the Nob Hill Victorians in the upper right side.