The school now known as Crawford School has a tradition transcending at least 130 years.

That history will be celebrated next Sunday during an open house.

The legacy of Crawford School might be traced to 1854 when the first "Third Ward School" was built at the southwest corner of Third and Oak streets during that brief window of time before the Civil War when Indiana authorized "public education."

On April 14, 1870, the board of trustees of the School City of Terre Haute passed a resolution to erect a new and bigger school in the "south part of the Third Ward" to replace the two-story, four-room academy.

Six days later the three-man school board - William E. Hendrich, John H. O'Boyle and Edward B. Allen - presented a formal request to build the school to the Common Council, then a legal prerequisite.

Bids were received in early September but were rejected as being "too high." The board eventually opted to do the work itself "under the supervision of a good mechanic."

The two-story brick building with 10 classrooms and a basement playroom situated on the northeast corner of Farrington and Third streets was ready for occupancy in April 1871. Much of the $25,000 cost was financed by bonds.

The new Third Ward School at 928-930 S. Third St., with central hot air heating, was modern for the times though it lacked indoor toilet facilities. After debate, the old Third Ward School was assigned to educate African-American children for several years.

Despite a few faculty resignations, Superintendent William H. Wiley reassigned teachers to take advantage of the new facility. Clara A. Graff was named the principal.

The school was modernized in 1905 and two rooms added. It was not until 1906 that the school board chose to name each city school. The Third Ward School became Crawford School to honor the memory of Andrew J. Crawford, the Terre Haute capitalist primarily responsible for transforming Vigo County into a national iron and steel center.

Crawford was 32 years old when he relocated to Terre Haute from Newcastle, Pa., in 1896, the year his father, Alexander L. Crawford, founded Vigo Iron Co., a large blast furnace, on the east side of 13th Street at College Avenue.

Four years later, Alexander and Andrew built Wabash Iron Co., a rolling mill, at Second and Spruce streets. It became known as "The Terre Haute Nail Works."

In 1880, Andrew became president of the two mills. The blast furnace employed 300 people and produced 15,000 tons of pig iron, mill iron and Bessemer steel annually. Rolled iron produced by the firm was proudly labeled "Made in Terre Haute."

When ownership of the "Nail Works" was transferred to Terre Haute Iron & Steel, a stock company, in 1890, 500 workers were fabricating 600 nail kegs each day.

Andrew was retained as president of Terre Haute Iron & Steel until the local iron factories were sold to Republic Steel in 1899. Besides those enterprises, Andrew was president of Gadsden (Tenn.) Iron Works, Crawford Coal Co., Kester Motor Co., Terre Haute Electric Light Co., Vigo Clay Co., Portland Mining Co. (in British Columbia), Home Coal Co., Nashville & Knoxville Railroad and Sligo Iron & Steel Co. of St. Louis.

Despite his many business interests, Crawford served two terms on the Terre Haute City Council and was a director at two banks. When he died at his elegant home at 405 S. Sixth St. on July 29, 1903, he was among the wealthiest men in Indiana.

Superintendent Wiley called Crawford "a man of energy and large business capacity" who kept the city "awake and moving." He was "a zealous patron of schools."

By 1959, old Crawford School had seen better days. On Oct. 12, 1959, the school board resolved to acquire property owned by Walter W. and Edna Talley on the west side of South Fifth Street, between Crawford and Deming streets, to construct a successor.

The site chosen was steeped in local history, having hosted two of Terre Haute's finest homes since 1855 when railroad magnate William D. Griswold erected a magnificent residence and plush stables.

The Griswolds moved to St. Louis in 1872, selling the entire block and its improvements to the Sisters of Providence for $25,000, considerably less than its fair market value. The residence was converted into St. Joseph's High School for Girls in 1873 and the stables were turned into a parochial elementary school.

In 1876, the Sisters of Providence sold the property to hardware merchant William E. Shryer. St. Joseph's returned to its former location at Fourth and Walnut streets.

Shryer sold the former Griswold manor to Elisha Havens of Havens & Geddes department store in 1889. Ten years later, publisher-politician James S. Barcus bought it, making liberal renovations. Banker Frank McKeen and his wife acquired it in 1906.

Walter W. Talley, youngest son of pioneer Wabash Valley coal baron J. Smith Talley, built a notable home - a mansion by local standards - on the site in 1923.

After son W. Weldin Talley Jr. died in 1956, the Walter Talleys moved to the country. The property became available for $45,000 after the home was razed.

Groundbreaking for a new elementary school - designed by revered local architect Juliet V. Peddle - occurred Dec. 13, 1960. It opened Oct. 30, 1961, with 220 students. The first Crawford School closed after serving the community for 90 years.

The state-of-the-art 33,312-square-foot brick and masonry edifice, costing $475,212, had eight classrooms, four special teaching rooms, a library, office suites, a public address system and the ability to receive television signals.

Though Vernah Heady, the new school's first principal, retired in 1964, a new tradition blossomed, enhanced in time by meaningful ethnic diversification derived from its location, exceptional leadership, a dedicated faculty and staff and outstanding alumni.