Gary Roosevelt High School has been named one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list Wednesday.
"Roosevelt High School is in jeopardy, and we cannot lose this treasure," Indiana Landmarks' Black Heritage Preservation Program Director Eunice Trotter said during an event marking the listing Wednesday.
Theodore Roosevelt High School was built in 1930. The National Trust for Historic Preservation notes it was one of just three high schools in the state "built specifically to serve the educational needs of Black Americans in the Jim Crow era." At its peak, it housed more than 3,000 students, according to Indiana landmarks, before damage from burst pipes led to its closure in 2019.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton welcomed the recognition. "This is the epicenter of Black excellence," Melton said during Wednesday's event.
A coalition including the Gary East Side Community Development Corporation, National Gary Theodore Roosevelt Alumni Association, Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program, and others is currently exploring options for a future use.
Marlon Mitchell is the executive director of the Gary East Side Community Development Corporation and a Roosevelt graduate himself. He promised that the final decision will ultimately be up to the community.
"We need to save this monument," Mitchell said. "It's not only a building. It's a symbol of pride. It's a symbol of excellence. It's a symbol of what Gary was and what Gary will be."
The cost to repair Gary Roosevelt is estimated to be more than $20 million.
