WELCOME NEW JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL IN CLEVELAND, OHIO: A WAREHOUSE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY!

The new John Marshall High School -- a.k.a. Martin J. Sweeney High School – a warehouse for the 21st Century – and located at 3952 West 140th Street in Cleveland, Ohio -- opened on August 17, 2015 – after nearly two years of construction.

 

The new John Marshall High School was built on the cheap -- using cheap materials – cinder blocks and cheap bricks, without an Auditorium, Swimming Pool, Underground Running Tracks, or a Basement – and no craftsmanship.

 

The new school replaced the historic John Marshall High School -- an architectural gem – built with superb craftsmanship -- which opened on January 29, 1932 and which underwent a senseless and illegitimate destruction in 2012/2013 – including the destruction of the Auditorium, Swimming Pool, and Underground Running Tracks -- a crime against humanity -- that shall never be forgotten.

 

Note: While the Auditorium and and Underground Running Tracks were part of the historic building, the Swimming Pool was added in the early 1970’s .

There was a big campaign to save historic John Marshall High School. Over 2,400 petitions were collected. The photograph shows a yard sign from the Save John Marshall High School campaign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Petitoners wanted the 80-year old (in 2012) John Marshall High School (center) to be renovated --- similar to the renovation of

83-year old John Hay and 80-year old Rhodes High Schools. While the Cleveland Metropolitan School District renovated both John Hay and Rhodes High Schools -- both with auditoriums – they cooked up the financial numbers to show it was cheaper to build the new John Marshall rather than renovate it. All three schools (John Hay, Rhodes, and John Marshall) were designed by the same British-born architect --George M. Hopkinson -- who also designed 14 other landmarked schools.

 

While Historic John Marshall High School had to be destroyed and could not be renovated into a 21st Century learning facility similar to the renovation of John Hay and Rhodes High Schools, the historic Higbee Building (opened in 1928) was renovated in to the Horseshoe Casino in 2012.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Hunger Strike is a cry for Justice when due process is denied to citizens who have neither power nor wealth. There was a 21-day long hunger strike (11-20-12 to 12-10-12) to save the school and protest the corruption used in the process -- there was vote rigging, denial of due process, and cooking of financial numbers.

 

 

The Historic John Marshall High School was destroyed, despite a relentless campaign including a three-week long hunger strike to save it.

 

There was vote rigging, denial of due process, and cooking of financial numbers.

 

There was collusion between Mayor Jackson and Councilman Martin J. Sweeney – Cleveland’s corrupt politicians and a corrupt and visionless Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and which was made possible by a compliant and corrupt media including

 

The Plain Dealer and the four local TV channels – ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.

 

The campaign called for an Independent Investigation.

 

 

 

Demonstration on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2013.

 

 

 

 

NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW NOR BLIZZARDS CAN PREVENT THE CALL FOR “INVESTIGATE CITY HALL” FOR THE SENSELESS AND ILLEGITIMATE DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL IN CLEVELAND, OHIO!

 

Photographed during the blizzard of January 2, 2014 on Lorain Avenue opposite Marc’s Plaza.

 

 

 

IS THE PLAIN DEALER IN BED WITH CITY HALL?: ALL SAVE JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL COMMENTS CRITICAL OF CITY HALL WERE DELETED: Read description in above slide.

 

 

MAY THE NAMES OF THE FOLLOWING WHO FACILITATED THE SENSELESS DESTRUCTION OF HISTORIC JOHN MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL – FOREVER LIVE IN INFAMY:

 

Historic John Marshall High School -- an architectural gem – opened in 1932 – underwent a senseless and illegitimate destruction in 2012/2013 -- a crime against humanity -- that shall never be forgotten!

 

The destruction was brought about by vote rigging & other irregularities committed by corrupt politicians and a visionless & corrupt Cleveland Metropolitan School District -- and their multitude of cronies.

 

There was vote rigging at the Cleveland Landmarks Commission meeting of January 12, 2012 where the Chief Architect of the City of Cleveland (Robert Vilkas), Director of City Planning (Robert Brown) along with corrupt politicians (Anthony Brancatelli and Phyllis E. Cleveland) voted to demolish the historic building with help from Chair of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission (Jennifer Coleman).

 

In addition, the President (Ken Tischler, class of 1957) of the John Marshall High School Alumni Association – wrote a letter to the Landmarks Commission openly advocating for demolition of the historic school.

 

That letter should be posted on the walls of the Alumni Hall of Fame in the new John Marshall High School for the benefit of future generations.

 

May the names of the following who facilitated the senseless destruction – forever live in infamy:

 

Mayor Frank G. Jackson;

Former Councilman and City Council President Martin J. Sweeney;

Councilman Anthony Brancatelli;

Councilwoman Phyllis E. Cleveland;

Cleveland Metropolitan School District;

Jennifer Coleman, Chair, Cleveland Landmarks Commission in 2012;

Robert Vilkas, Manager of Architecture (Chief Architect), City of Cleveland in 2012;

Robert Brown, Director of City Planning in 2012;

Bellaire Puritas Development Corporation; and

President (Ken Tischler, class of 1957) and those trustees of the John Marshall High Alumni Association who openly advocated for demolition.

 

 

 

The new John Marshall High School has no basement – no indoor running tracks, no auditorium, and no swimming pool.

 

The new John Marshall High School sits on the graveyard of the old historic school which contains the remains of the architectural gem.

 

The new John Marshall High School has been built with cheap materials – cinder blocks and cheap bricks.

 

The new John Marshall High School uses a few architectural elements from the historic school – which have been slapped on to the façade or on the interior walls of the Alumni Hall of Fame -- without any architectural context.

 

The new John Marshall High School does not have any distinctive architecture and no craftsmanship.

 

The new John Marshall High School is a warehouse for the 21st century -- meaning it can be torn down and re-built as another warehouse without any regrets or loss of heritage to the community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The slide shows former Councilman Martin J. Sweeney at a community meeting held on February 21, 2013. Mr. Sweeney who was responsible for the senseless destruction of historic John Marshall High School is reading from a flier from the Save John Marshall High School campaign suggesting that the new school be named after him because Mr. Sweeney had called the new school (without an Auditorium, Swimming Pool, or Underground Running Tracks) – “a state-of-the-art High School that will be the crown jewel of the students’ academic experience”. Mr. Sweeney has a sense of humor and laughed at the suggestion.

 

The slide shows the graveyard of Historic John Marshall High School which opened in 1932, and which underwent a senseless destruction in 2012/2013. The graveyard contains the pulverized remains (bricks, stones, etc.) of the historic school. The photograph was taken on the longest day : June 21, 2013.

 

 

 

 

The slide shows the Main Entrance to the John Marshall High School on West 140th Street.

 

 

 

 

In the case of the historic school, the two Eagles were perched at the top and in full architectural context.

 

In the case of the new school, the two Eagles were placed at the base without any architectural context.

 

 

 

The historic school used good quality stone and intricate architectural details.

 

The new school has used cinder blocks and no craftsmanship.

 

 

The historic school used good quality stone and bricks with superb craftsmanship.

 

The new school shows use of cinder blocks, no craftsmanship, and exposed metal grilles in keeping with the warehouse look.

 

 

In the case of the historic school all the architectural elements existed in full context and were surrounded by good quality stone and bricks.

3-Story Academic Wing, looking North along West 140th Street: