The High School~Superior Home Tour

When I read the high school building in Superior would be on the Home Tour this year, because it is a private home, I had to see who would want to live in a three story 25,116 square foot brick and plaster structure built in 1924-25!

The last class graduated in 2000. It was sold in 2003 by the Magma Copper Company for $1.00 to Elijah and Marjorie Cardon, and partner Berdelle Jarvis. The school is not on the historical registry, but the outside of the building has been preserved.

The structure needed to be stabilized before any remodeling could take place. When purchased in 2003 the roof was leaking, half the windows were gone, vandals had kicked in all the doors, birds and critters had been invading, and drug parties were frequent. Leaking evaporative coolers had also ruined some of the floors. The first priority was to secure the property with a 10' high wire fence, which is still in place.

When the Cardons returned from a 2 year missionary trip to East Germany in 2009, they began to remodel the high school as their personal home.

the owners' bedroom suite

wall wardrobes from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas

(all the furniture in the school has come from 

hotel liquidation sales and antique stores)

this area used to be the teacher's lounge 

the girls' lavatory has become

a powder room, dressing room, and closet

the owners' private library in a former classroom

the chalkboards and floor are original

the sitting and receiving room of the owners

formerly the chemistry room

doll collection of Elijah's aunt from travels and

mission trip locations in glass cases along the far wall

one of the 2 guest suites we saw

each has a queen bed and sitting area,

large bathroom and a small kitchenette

and its own private outside entrance

long canvas drapes keep out the sun and are thermal insulators

high school gymnasium

used for youth retreats and during training sessions

another guest suite just off the large gymnasium

was the former recruiting office

has its own outside entrance, AC, foyer and kitchenette

remodeled girls' lavatory off the gym

and part of the guest room

more of the guest room bathroom

All the doors have been replaced by similar doors of the period. Many of the windows have been replaced or rebuilt using the same glass to keep out the gusty winds and the rusted and rotten frames and sills have been replaced. All the plumbing and electrical have been brought up to code. Original wood floors have also been restored. BUT...it still looks and feels like an old high school.

We did see some other remodeled rooms on the tour, about 10 stations in all. Beginning in 2011, the Cardons hosted youth conferences and retreats. They have provided overnight housing for 50 conferences averaging 250 youth per event, hosting about 10,000 kids. The youth on retreat donate their time and skills for Superior community projects. So on occasion, the school rooms and hallways still ring with the noise of high school kids.

The Home Economics room (kitchen) is the storage and prep area for retreat meals. The sewing room  across the hall is used as a conference and meeting room during retreats.

The high school has also hosted the Superior Prickly Pear Festival (held in August), the Superior Hall of Fame, firefighter training and many high school reunions. In fact, the day we were there, about 20 Superior firefighters entered the building before us and disappeared somewhere. The lower level of the building is rented to a heavy equipment contractor. Another old building with a new life and purpose.

Next blog post will be the private homes we toured during

the Superior Home Tour