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Charlotte High School
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Charlotte High School's main building after hurricane, prior to deconstruction.
Architectural style	Masonry Vernacular with Neo-Classical elements
NRHP reference No.	90001796
Added to NRHP	December 12, 1990

Charlotte High School, also referred to as the Punta Gorda High School, is a free historic public high school in Punta Gorda, Florida serving ninth through twelfth graders. It is located at 1250 Cooper Street. On December 12, 1990, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

History

Punta Gorda Grammar and High School opened its doors in 1907 with an enrollment of 150 students. Construction of a new school on Taylor Street began in 1911 due to overcrowding issues. However, by 1926 after the construction of the first bridge to cross Charlotte Harbor, bussing increased Punta Gorda's enrollment to 1,000 which in turn lead to the construction of Charlotte High School.

Hurricane Charley hit the Punta Gorda area at the beginning of the school year on August 13, 2004 as a Category 4 hurricane, causing major damage to the high school. After seventeen days of hiatus, the students attended Port Charlotte High School during the 12:45 - 6 p.m. afternoon shift for most of the 2004-2005 school year. Afterwards, the students were moved back on campus to portables. Charlotte High was one of the six schools in the county that were destroyed or heavily damaged however the cafeteria and auditorium still remained intact. Despite the severe damage the three-story main building sustained, it was decided to try to save this historical landmark. The plan incorporated this building to have its entire interior to be redone but its facade will remain and the rest of the campus will be built around its neoclassical style. A ceremony took place in late May of 2007 for the groundbreaking of the aforementioned building and the new facility that will group up to 1,800 students by class and provide a courtyard inside the linked structures. Harvard Jolly is the architectural firm working on the project.

The History Channel's inaugural Save Our History Grant was awarded in 2005 to the Charlotte County Historical Society, in partnership with high school students from Charlotte High School and Port Charlotte High School. Putting aside academic and athletic rivalry, the students collaborated to preserve their community's experience through oral history.

Extracurricular activities

Charlotte High School offers a variety of activities to students at all levels, during three athletic seasons. Basketball, baseball/softball, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track/cross country, volleyball, wrestling and boys/girls weightlifting are available.

Despite the damage done to the campus, the school continues to maintain a number of successful sports and academic teams. The Model United Nations team has won top honors at many state, regional, and national conferences The school's United States Academic Decathlon has thrice competed at the national level as state champions.

Theatre

The school Thespian Troupe 0922 inaugurated the Charlotte County Performing Arts Center black-box theatre with a performance of 12 Angry Men that won critical accolades. Thespian Troupe 0922 has, on average, three performances each year.

In January of 2007, Troupe 0922 performed at the District Thespian Festival, and won 4 superior awards and 9 excellent awards. In April, many of these students will be performing at the State Thespian Festival in Tampa, Florida.

Notable Alumni

• Burton Lawless; former football guard who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League from 1975 through 1979. Listed as as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" for Florida High School Football.
• Tommy Murphy became an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
• William J. Barry III was a photographer for the U.S. Coast Guard during the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
• Matthew LaPorta, a minor league left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers.

References

1. "2006/2007 Demographic Makeup By School of Attendance". Your Charlotte County Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-07-18.
2. ^ "FLORIDA - Charlotte County". National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2006-09-25.
3. "Florida's History Through Its Places - Charlotte County". Myflorida.com. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
4. "Our History". Your Charlotte County Public Schools. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
5. Tierney, Dan (2004-08-25). "School times set". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
6. ^ Quinn, Carolyn (2007-05-24). "Charlotte High begins rebuilding". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. Alain Jehlen / Dave Winans (2004). "NEA Today Storm Season". National Education Association. Retrieved 2007-02-04. In Charlotte County, where 6 of 21 schools were destroyed or heavily damaged, students were forced to attend the remaining safe schools in shifts. Some start as early as 6 a.m. Others end as late as 7:10 p.m. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
8. "Historical Society Receives Save Our History Grant" (PDF). Florida Preservation News. Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources. 2005. pp. pp. 5. Retrieved 2007-01-25. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
9. Scott, Anna. "James Lawless, former schools superintendent, dies at 86". Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
10. "5 SFWL players named to State All-Time Prep Football Top 100". MSNBC. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
11. Fineran, John. "Baseball's return tops 2006 stories". Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2007-05-25.
12. Miller, Glen (2007-08-12). "Minor League Notebook". News-Press. Retrieved 2007-08-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

• Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs - Charlotte High School

• High schools in Florida
• Punta Gorda, Florida
• Registered Historic Places in Florida
• Educational institutions established in 1926