Seaholm: My Old High School — It’s Not Stuck in the Twentieth Century

A couple dozen of us took a tour of Birmingham High School, aka Seaholm High, during our reunion weekend in October.

It looks like quite of few additions have been made to the building. I thought the designers did quite a good job of being faithful to the Fifties architecture. And… I think the original design has held up beautifully. Does anyone know the name of the architect? I hear he also designed the First Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, which is also looking pretty good these days.

The only jarring element — those crazy block floor tiles. The building is attractive and lively enough without the hokey sprucing up.

Here are a bunch of pix I took. Enjoy.

(And thanks for your patience, all you non-Birmingham folks out there. I’ll be getting on with other topics soon . . . )

Meanwhile, read more about our class at “It’s Us!” 

 

Seaholm High School, Birmingham, Michigan
Seaholm High School, Birmingham, Michigan
On the right -- an addition to the front of the building.
On the right -- an addition to the front of the building.

 

seaholm-campus-new-courtyard

 

A tree now grows in front of what used to be the art room.
A tree now grows in front of what used to be the art room.
The old math wing is now used by a Japanese cultural school.
The old math wing is now used by a school for Japanese culture.
I like the new windowed hall, but not the hodge-podge tile on the floor.
I like the new windowed hall, but not the hodge-podge tile on the floor.
The little theater looked different. Did they do something to the walls?
The little theater looked different. Did they do something to the walls?

 

high-school-reunion
high-school-hall
1950-midcentury-modern-architecture
The best part was being there with so many people I remember so fondly from BHS. Go Maples!
The best part was being there with so many people I remember so fondly from BHS. Go Maples! Photos by B.F. Newhall

 

Comments

0 Responses

  1. Thanks for posting this Barb. By the way, who are all those old people in the pictures (ha, ha). Oldies, but goodies, I’d say. Thanks again.

    1. That’s us! It’s nice to know that all the really cool people in the world are actually exactly as old as I am.

  2. Thanks for posting the pictures. It is nice to see the buildings updated although essentially as when we were there.

  3. Hi Barbara,
    I enjoyed your group email. Had fun looking at the old BHS pictures on your site, partially because my daughter and I showed up in one of your pictures (windowed hall), and my wife in another (Go Maples!). Thanks for the posts. I have a few pics from the same reunion on my Classmates page, one of which seems to have resurrected the BHS name–never will get used to “Seaholm.” Forever Birmingham!

    1. Yes! Forever Birmingham! I dig in my heels when it comes to calling our school anything but Birmingham High.

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