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Sunnyside School

Sunnyside School

City/Town:
Location Class:
Built: 1928 | Abandoned: 1987
Status: Abandoned
Photojournalist: Michael SchwarzMary Evans
Sunnyside School
“Recess scenes are miniature duplicates of those at larger school.” Provided by George Tapscott, January 17, 1947.

Half of the two acres of land for Sunnyside School Dist No. 36 was donated and was constructed by Lambert Construction built this school for $6,600. It is a single-story brick building with a small porch door entrance on the northeast corner. On the backside of the building is an entrance to the basement. Sunnyside School No. 36 was used as a K through the eighth-grade facility with roughly a hundred students. Its first teacher was Miss Fern Wilson who did an excelling job in making it an accredited school fit for educating students on the outskirts of Oklahoma City.

In 1955 a school bond election was held by C.E. Grady, county superintendent, for the annexation of Sunnyside School No. 36 into the Star District 46. Voters would be asked to approve a $151,000 bond for a new four-room grade school. Sunnyside made the consolidation and its days as a school were over. But that wasn’t the last time it had youth through its doors becoming a youth center for a number of years until they moved out in 1984.

The Oklahoma City School Board and Viola Askew, a descendant of the land donors for Sunnyside, came to an agreement to sell the two properties together for a minimum of $35,000 and half the proceeds going to Mrs. Askew. While efforts were underway to get the building sold the building was leased to the New Faith Baptist Church in 1986. Pastor Joe W. Hollins said ” It’s a beautiful opportunity for us and I just thank God it happened,” after hearing the school board’s approval of the lease. OKCPS Board members voted 7-0 to lease the old Sunnyside School to the congregation of 55 for $200 a month. The New Faith Baptist church would have the opportunity to purchase the building after a two-year leasing period. But unfortunately, they wouldn’t get the opportunity to after legal troubles arose surrounding the property’s ownership.

Viola Askew had grown tired of waiting on a deal to be settled and felt that the real estate agent in charge of trying to find a buyer hadn’t tried hard enough. In 1987 she sued the OKCPS and the church claiming that she owns the land that Sunnyside sits on and upon donating the land to the district stated that the land must be returned to her if it seized to be used as a school anymore. Mrs. Askew passed before the suit was settled and it is unclear what ever happened after that. The building sat abandoned for decades, being purchased recently.

This is private property, trespassers will be prosecuted. If you would like to photograph this site please contact Tim Dunn: 405-203-5790.

Article by AOK Photojournalist Emily Cowan.

Gallery Below




Bibliography

Tapscott, George. [Photograph 2012.201.B1221.0299]photographJanuary 17, 1947; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc608795/accessed May 16, 2021), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

“12 Aug 1955, 20 – The Daily Oklahoman at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/449402173/?terms=sunnyside%20No.%2036&match=1.

1409176. “Oklahoma City Public Schools Board Meeting Minutes, 1986.” Issuu, issuu.com/metrolibrary/docs/okcps_board_meeting_minutes_1986a.

—. “Oklahoma City Public Schools Board Meeting Minutes, 1987.” Issuu, issuu.com/metrolibrary/docs/okcps_board_meeting_minutes_1987a.

—. “Oklahoma City Public Schools Board Meeting Minutes, 1987.” Issuu, issuu.com/metrolibrary/docs/okcps_board_meeting_minutes_1987a.

“19 Feb 1931, 8 – The Oklahoma County Register at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/594392774/?terms=sunnyside%20school%20district%2036&match=1.

“8 Jan 1929, 2 – The Vista at Newspapers.com.” Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com/image/608419327/?terms=sunnyside%20school&match=1.

“Board to Lease Former School.” Oklahoman.com, 22 Apr. 1986, www.oklahoman.com/article/2145059/board-to-lease-former-school.

“Old Schools Never Die … They Just Change Classes.” Oklahoman.com, 8 Sept. 1986, www.oklahoman.com/article/2159154/old-schools-never-die-they-just-change-classes.

“Site Sale Plan Due for Action.” Oklahoman.com, 16 Jan. 1984, www.oklahoman.com/article/2054008/site-sale-plan-due-for-action?.

Sunnyside School
Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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