The Old and New of Bloom Township High School

As a newcomer to Chicago Heights in August 2010, there was little I could say I knew about the city. Sure, I was aware of the nickname, “Crossroads of a Nation,” but I knew little else.

Taking the proverbial helm of a self-proclaimed new online hub for news and events, I knew I would have to learn more about the city’s illustrious history before I could presume to be a credible source of Heights information.

While I’m still learning, I have discovered at least one indisputable point of consensus. holds a poignant and perpetually growing legacy in the city. An area pioneer in the realm of undisputed landmarks, the school’s history speaks for itself.

Chicago Heights and Bloom grew up together, literally. Feb. 23, 1901, the Heights went from a village to a city, as the original and Bloom High School were built that same year.

For 33 years Bloom was located on Lincoln Highway. We now look at where Old Bloom was and see the . The new Bloom, on 10th Street, began construction in 1930, and the building opened its doors to students on Feb. 6, 1934.

Heights historians Dominic Candeloro and Barbara Paul literally wrote the book on the city, putting together Chicago Heights in 1998. In the book, Candeloro and Paul describe Old Bloom and its importance to the community.

“The stately appearance of in the 1920s makes it obvious why this institution was the pride of Chicago Heights,” Paul and Candeloro explain in the book. “The building closed in 1934.”

The new Bloom was built with Work Progress Administration (WPA) funds, thanks to the New Deal put in place by the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential administration, according to Christina Bultinck and Christy Johnston-Czarnecki in their book, A Native’s Guide to Chicago’s South Suburbs.

The building’s look became the standard of Art Deco architecture in Illinois, eventually being added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1982.

According to Candeloro and Paul, the opening of the striking redux of the secondary school was marked when “students moved their desks and other equipment to the new Bloom High School.”

It wasn’t just the school’s new look that inspired Bloom’s long lasting legacy in Chicago Heights. Bloom alum Mike Bonhart, an architect and member of the Chicago Heights Historic Preservation Committee, credits the school for starting his career path.

“That’s where I took my first drafting class,” said Bonhart, who graduated from Bloom in 1978. “I think it’s left a lasting impression on me. I went on to become an architect and my emphasis was in historic preservation.”

Bonhart said he knows he isn’t alone in drawing inspiration and taking pride in his Alma Mater, as he made note of the school’s Hall of Fame.

“A lot of good people have gone on to do great things, not just for the community but out in the world,” Bonhart said. “The Bloom Hall of Fame, there’s quite a number of Bloom graduates who have been inducted into it.”

Among those graduates is sports business mogul Jerry Colangelo, who was born and raised in the Heights. Olympia medalist Jan Johnson also praised Bloom for helping to shape the way he looked at different cultures.

“Bloom was such an integrated, working-class school,” Johnson told sports writer Ken Ryan. “I love Chicago Heights. I have so many friends from there. The most important lesson I learned at Bloom was how to understand other races and cultures. Bloom was a great school for that.”

Marie Patton, who taught and assisted teachers in Chicago Heights District 170 schools for 35 years, graduated from Bloom in 1947.

“It’s been visited by Nixon and Reagan,” Patton said. “It’s been an educational fountain for many. It’s important to Chicago Heights. It’s the high school we went to.”

The new Bloom High School, has been illustrated, photographed and talked about for years in the Heights, forever invigorating a sense of pride and distinction in many alumni.

But make no mistake. Old Bloom continued to play a role in the city long after its halls-of-learning days ceased. After the Halsted Street City Hall burned down in 1953, and before the new one was built in 1976, Chicago Heights used Old Bloom as the city hall, the police and fire station, a roller rink and a youth center, Candeloro and Paul explained in Chicago Heights.

As we dive back into a new and more in-depth version of Historic Heights, we will start with Bloom High School. Next week, I will begin an examination of the Bloom Archives, a time capsule of incredible items, some of which can only be found at the high school. We will look into the history of these items and find out intriguing facts about them.

Wish me luck on my journey into the Chicago Heights of the past. If you have any questions about the history of the city you would like for me to find an answer to, send them to Christopher.paicely@patch.com.