In 1903, the second Syracuse High School building opened to replace the original built in 1867. Designed by the local architect Archimedes Russell, it was intended to accommodate 1500 students. Several small homes were purchased through condemnation near the area known as Billings Park to make way for the school. The total cost of the project was $428,076 (approximately $12 million today).
The school operated under the name Syracuse Central High School from 1903 to 1960 and later as Syracuse Central Technical. In 1975, the school officially closed after the graduation of the senior class. Improvements of the school occurred throughout its life, including an expansion of its assembly hall to accommodate 1,875 students and, in 1928, the addition of a gym, cafeteria, kitchen, and science labs.
According to an article by Syracuse.com’s Rick Moriarty the school operated under a few different names, “When it opened, it was Syracuse High School — Central & North. From 1909 to 1959, it was just Syracuse Central High School. From 1960 until its closing in 1975, it was named Syracuse Central Technical High School.”
Even though the school has been vacant since 1975, the building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1981.