Concise History of the Castle:
Sioux City Central High School was built in 1892 depicting the design of an English Castle and because of that design, soon became known as the "Castle on the Hill". This multi-turreted school was constructed of brownish-pink Lake Superior sandstone. Its characteristics include marble floors and restroom partitians, a 1700 seat acoustically tuned auditorium, murals depicting the Native American lifestyle during the Lewis and Clark era, and a ten-foot statue of Abraham Lincoln. The Castle is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its cultural and historical significance. More than 40,000 young men and women have passed through the hallways of the Castle and today it stands as a monument to the people who dreamed and sacrificed for a building that would stand for all ages.
Castle's Current Exhibits:
Castle's current exhibits include a "Hall of Fame" displaying outstanding students from Central High School including notables MacDonald Carey (TV soap opera star, Days of our Lives), Pauline Esther Friedman (Dear Abby), Esther Pauline Friedman (Ann Landers), Jim Hindman (founder of Jiffy Lube), and Jay Ding Darling (winning Pulitzer Prizes for editorial cartoons). Other exhibits include a "Central High School Memorabilia Room", a "Print Shop Museum", and Gift Shop.
Castle's current programs:
The Castle is home to the Sioux City Indian Center and the Northwest Indian Community College for administrative offices, counseling programs and college courses offered in our tri-state area. The gymnasium is used by the YMCA for their youth roller blade hockey programs, youth soccer and adult athletic programs. It is also available for banquets, class reunions, dances, meetings, etc. The Castle on the Hill Association collaborates with community service programs, hosts educational tours for students and architectural students are given an opportunity to study the building design. Also, weekly tours of the Castle are offered to the public. Annually, a Medieval Tournament is held in cooperation with the Sioux City Schools.
Castle's future development:
It is the goal of the Castle on the Hill Association to make the Castle a community center where visitors can experience a unique multi-cultural journey through history in a time-line frame from the earliest beginnings to the new millennium including cultural, agricultural and local business history. |
Abe is ready, dressed for the occasion, and waiting patiently !
