If you often walk the 500 block of Shaffer St. north of Walnut Ave., you may have noticed that Orange High School is in the middle of a major campus transformation. As part of the Measure S general obligation construction bond passed by voters in 2016, Orange High School received $72 million in funding to repair and modernize its facility and improve campus safety and security.
During the first phase of Measure S, Orange Unified completed over $40 million of work at Orange High School, including major utility upgrades, the creation of a new snack bar building, and the construction of a new 40,000-square-foot state-of-the-art STEM center building — the crown jewel of the Measure S bond program at Orange High — which opened in November 2020.
The second phase of Measure S, anticipated to be completed in 2024, is designed to have an even greater impact on the Orange High School campus. The 100/200 building, consisting of the main administrative offices and several classrooms, was demolished in early April 2023 to make way for a new administration/classroom building and “Alumni Corner” at the corner of Shaffer St. and Walnut Ave. The Alumni Corner will feature new brick-lined walkways, updated landscaping, a new marquee, and updated concrete seating areas, and is designed to connect the look and feel of the high school to the architecture of the surrounding Chapman University buildings and the Orange Circle.
One of the most important tasks for the District Facilities team prior to demolition was to preserve the many historical artifacts stored and, in some cases, embedded in the foundation of the previous administration suite, which was built in 1952. These artifacts include the cornerstone from the recently demolished administration building, various dedication plaques, trophies, yearbooks, and documentation dating back to the original campus. In addition, the cornerstone from the first building constructed at Orange Union High School in 1905, which had been moved to the administration building on Shaffer Ave. in 1952, was salvaged from the main first-floor stairwell. When the 1905 cornerstone was removed in January 2023, it was a complete surprise to staff to find a small time capsule in great condition embedded in the concrete.
The 1952 time capsule was opened during an event at Orange High School on April 27, and attendees were able to get a first-hand look at the contents, which included documents from as early as 1902. The items are currently in the process of being photo-documented and will be shared with the Orange Community Historical Society at its May 16, 2023, regular meeting. It is the District’s hope that the historical society and, possibly, retired Orange High School staff, will be able to shed some light on the significance of the artifacts and help tell the story of one of the oldest schools in Orange County.
Orange High School first opened on September 21, 1903, as “Orange Union High School,” at a temporary location on S. Glassell St. The first permanent building for the Orange Union High School, located on the corner of Palm Ave. and Glassell St., was completed in the summer of 1905 and occupied in September of that year. Orange Union High was Orange County's fourth school and the first school ever constructed in the City of Orange. In 1953, Orange High School moved to its current location at 525 N. Shaffer St. (corner of N. Shaffer St. and Walnut Ave.). The school’s original location eventually became home to Chapman University.
