Kennedy School in northeast Portland, Oregon, was built in 1915.
Go ahead -- drink a beer or take a nap at northeast Portland, Oregon's Kennedy Elementary School. We promise you won't get detention.
Since its doors re-opened in 1997, Kennedy School, as it's now called, has traded in reading, writing, and arithmetic for something a little different, thanks to its new owners, McMenamins. The popular Portland-based chain worked its magic on the long-vacant school, turning it into a combination hotel, restaurant, bar, brewery, theater, music venue, community garden, and community gathering space.
It was a big, but welcome, change for the elementary school building, completed in 1915. The last school bell rang there in 1975. Enrollment was declining, and the building was in desperate need of many expensive repairs. So it closed, and students were sent elsewhere in the school district.
Left: The entrance to Kennedy School, which now houses hotel rooms, bars, a restaurant, a brewery, a movie theater, and community gathering spaces. Right: Hotel guests can relax in the soaking pool, located in a courtyard where the former teacher's lounge was located.
Then the school sat vacant for years. Demolition orders were issued. Its structure crumbled from neglect. Finally, a band of neighbors, former students, and other community leaders came together in the early 1990s to figure out a solution for the beloved local landmark. The group put out a request for proposals. McMenamins won the bid.
Renovations began in the spring of 1997. It was no small feat: The building needed new pipes and a new electrical system and a number of structural upgrades.
"But the bones were there," says Renee Rank Ignacio, McMenamins' marketing director.
Some of the hotel rooms located in former classrooms feature original chalkboards.
The school re-opened that October looking very much like the school it originally was -- the old chalkboards stayed in place, original 1915 bas-relief panels on the walls were restored, and you could still get a sip of water from the kid-sized drinking fountains.
But there were some obvious differences.
For one, sleeping is now encouraged. Former classrooms were converted into hotel rooms, with the original chalkboards and cloakrooms intact. Other rooms in what is now called the English Wing are around the school's courtyard and feature literature-inspired themes.
Overnight guests get free passes to the on-site movie theater, located in the school's former auditorium, as well as access to the soaking pools.
Kennedy School's Courtyard Restaurant is located inside the school's former cafeteria, with seating outside on the patio.
There are plenty of places to grab a drink, too. There's the multi-level Broiler Room Bar, a bar located, unsurprisingly, in the former broiler room. And there's the Cypress Room, which focuses on international rums. The Detention Bar permits cigar smoking, while Honors Bar plays classical and operatic music for its guests.
For hungrier visitors, there's the Courtyard Restaurant, which serves classic pub food in the school's former cafeteria and out in the courtyard, complete with fire pits.
And while there are new additions to the décor, like murals inspired by the school's history that have been painted throughout the building, much of what's on display is archival material -- like old photos and yearbooks, donated by former students.
Says Rank Ignacio, "When people walk in here now, they think it's still a school."
Read more about new uses for old school buildings in the upcoming Fall 2015 issue of Preservation.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.