\ AHS # 5 1900-- Luckily, this temporary situation only lasted for six months, to the end of the school year in May. The city had approved a new high school before the fire in 1899 and in September, 1900, we opened " the finest high school in the south ". Located at East Ninth Street at Trinity, the red brick building had eighteen classrooms and other pioneering features. The building was called " Old Red " because of the red bricks that were used. The building became John Allen Junior High in 1925 and burned in 1956.
AHS # 6 1925-- As the high school students went home for the Thanksgiving Holiday, they packed their books and lunchboxes, leaving " Old Red " forever. It became John Allen Junior High School, and the high school students moved into the expanded old Allan building at 12th and Rio Grande. Renovations in 1924-25 had added eighteen classrooms to the 1915 building. This building would be Austin High from 1925-1975. Fifty years!! House Park, the West Avenue Gym, and Annex of twenty-four more classrooms and the Band Hall on West Avenue were all developed during the Rio Grande years.
1953-- Three other new high schools were opened in Austin, and we were officially renamed " Stephen F. Austin High School ". But everyone still calls us " Austin High " or " Austin of Austin ".
AHS # 7 1975-- A new building was constructed at 1715 West First Street( now known as West Cesar Chavez) in what had been part of the Zilker Park tract. The land was part of330 acres donated to the city by A. J. Zilker in 1927. The land preparation for the school cost $ 1,000,000, and the building cost $ 7,500,000. The first day of school was August 24, 1975. The first Dedication Day was May 2, 1976 to " dedicate the building as a public school ". Through the years, Dedication Day has become our Birthday party for the school.
8