Topeka (KSNT) – The Topeka High School Historical Society rededicated the main foyer of Topeka High School on Monday morning.
“The project took about 10 weeks and cost $140,000,” said Michelle Neis, president of the THS Historical Society. “Construction began in October 2022 and was completed in early January 2023. Four to six layers of her industrial paint were removed from the original stone walls.”
The restoration project took 10 weeks to complete, requiring the stripping of four layers of paint from the original wall and the application of a clear sealer to facilitate future cleaning. The stucco ceilings, crown moldings and archways were also repainted.
Topeka High School Principal Rebecca Morrissey said: “I am grateful to the historic society and to those who had the vision to make it even more remarkable. It is a beautiful foyer and always has been.”
The restoration cost $140,000 and was made possible by a donation from THS alumnus Doris Derrington (class of 1951). Derrington was a working graduate and in 2021 she passed away at the age of 87.
The THS Historical Society is the driving force behind the original designer’s vision of this National Register. The school was built at a cost of over $1.1 million for him and opened in 1931. The Gothic building on Southwest 10th Avenue has seen thousands of students, faculty, and families pass through its doors for the past 92 years.
JF McGivern Inc. was the contractor for the project.
