Newton J. Tharp Commercial School, San Francisco, 2. Editorial Photo

In the 1880`s, the idea of public high schools was still fairly novel. Yet, by 1883 San Francisco had two, one for boys and one for girls. So when the board of education wanted to add commercial training to the boys school, they added an extra school, to try it out. It was one of only three schools in the whole country at the time to allow girls in also. It became so popular, they had to move, closer to downtown. And just in time for the 1906 earthquake. In 1908, the new Commercial School opened on Grove near Polk.Shortly after opening, plans began for the new Civic Center Plaza, and the new school couldn`t stay. And not stay is what happened. The site at Fell and Franklyn, that was supposed to be a new library, was exchanged for the school, and so the whole building was moved, whole.And then the Loma Prieta quake of 1989 hit, and the school could no longer be used. It`s pretty much vacant now, but being just across the street from the SFJazz Center, they donated photos from famed photographer William Gottlieb, of famous Jazz people, to hang in the windows.As seen September 2021.