Denver's East High School celebrates 150 years with rededication ceremony

Denver's East High School is celebrating 150 years as a high school this year. On Thursday, the school continued the celebration with a rededication ceremony.

The school near Denver's City Park has been in that building for 100 years, but the school has been an educational institution for many years before then.

It started off as a one-room schoolhouse called the Union School in 1859, and it was quickly moved to a building at 14th and Market in downtown Denver. 

In 1873, Arapahoe School opened on Arapahoe Street between 17th and 18th as Denver's first high school. 

That school continued to grow as did Denver. In 1889, Old East was opened on Stout Street between 19th and 20th. 

Nearly 40 years later, in 1925, East High School opened on its current location between Colfax Avenue and 17th Avenue near Denver's City Park. 

On Thursday, students and staff gathered for a rededication, where East High School Principal Terita Walker read an updated dedication of the 100-year-old building. 

"For a century, it has stood as a witness to generations of students, faculty, and staff, walking its halls, learning, growing, and shaping its future. Today, we rededicate this building with the same ideals in mind that those who dedicated this building did in 1925," said Walker. 

There was also a Native American Land Acknowledgment before Walker spoke. Students from Natives United spoke about how, in the years before East High School was built, the land was used by several tribes like the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations for trade and hunting. 

"We recognize Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. By acknowledging that we are standing on Native land, you are also acknowledging the Indigenous peoples," said Brianna Flores, co-president of Natives United, Choctaw Nation. 

The East Honors Choir also performed "America the Beautiful" as part of the ceremony. 

The Homecoming week festivities continue Friday and over the weekend with a pep assembly, Homecoming football game at All-City Stadium and a Homecoming dance.