100 years in the making: See how New Hanover High School has changed, grown in its lifetime

When Charlie Rivenbark was a student at New Hanover High School, he remembers regularly crossing Market Street to get to classes on either side of the 1300 block.

In the mid-60s, when Rivenbark attended, the catwalk over Market Street had not yet been built. So each hour, hundreds of students could be seen crossing the busy street to get to their classes.

Now a Wilmington City Council Member, Rivenbark fondly remembers when his principal called a school-wide assembly in Brogden Hall to share a note he received from another principal who had happened to be visiting Wilmington during spring break.

The principal shared that while driving down Market Street when classes were switching, he stopped to watch as the students moved between classes, then disappeared as the bell rang.

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“He said, 'I just wanted to tell you that I’m a high school principal and I’ve never seen more well-behaved, well-dressed, courteous children as I did in front of your school,'” Rivenbark recounted the letter saying.

Today, New Hanover High School students can’t often be seen making the journey across the busy road, but they do often hang out in front of the school and on the footbridge that now spans Market Street and connects the school facilities.

A large, yellow brick building

What began as a large, yellow brick building at the 1300 block of Market Street quickly grew into a Wilmington community staple.

New Hanover High School was first built in the 1920s to replace Wilmington High School, which was located at Fifth and Ann streets.

Construction began in 1920, and when the school opened in 1922, it was considered the largest high school in North Carolina.

One hundred years later, the building has undergone numerous renovations, adding space for more students at the high school and updating its historic facilities.

One of the most notable additions for many alumni was Brogden Hall. Rivenbark said prior to Brogden Hall’s construction, there was a gym in the back of the high school where students used to compete in athletics like volleyball and basketball.

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Since it was built in 1954, Brogden Hall has become an important and historic part of the school, named after well-known former football, basketball and baseball coach Leon Brogden.

“That was quite an addition to not just the school, but for the community,” Rivenbark said, remembering times when Miss North Carolina Pageants and concerts were held in the gym.

After it opened in 1922, the school expanded quickly. New wings were added in 1930 to create more space for students.

In 1940, the school added the Princess Street Gym, followed by Brogden Hall in 1954.

The bridge leading over Market Street, now known as 'The Catwalk," was completed in 1976, making it easier for students to travel throughout the school’s campus without having to cross the busy street.

Today, New Hanover High School is facing around $2 million in renovation needs for Brogden Hall due to structural issues causing the court floor to sink.

More than $1 million were put toward HVAC and other repairs in Brogden Hall in 2016, and tennis courts at the school were repaired after they were damaged during Hurricane Florence.

Alumni say they hope the school district and county will continue identifying ways to improve the oldest high school in Wilmington. But they hope the beautiful brick building they know as New Hanover High School will keep its look for years to come.

Brogden renovations: New Hanover's Brogden Hall needs approximately $2 million in repairs

“I hope it never loses its look on the outside,” said alumna Louise McColl. “The look of it has been that way. It’s changed the face a little bit, but I think just keeping it up (is important).”

Rivenbark said he believes the pandemic showed the importance of having a physical school building where students can go each day to learn and see their classmates and teachers. He said at New Hanover High School and throughout the county, he would like to see continued improvements to the buildings to provide students with the best education possible.

“I always hope that there will be bricks and mortar buildings for people to gather at,” he said. “I think that is a huge part of your education and it kind of showed its face during the pandemic.”

Reporter Sydney Hoover can be reached at 910-343-2339 or shoover@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: How New Hanover High building became part of Wilmington history