The Historic Dora Moore School, is a Denver Elementary School located on the corner of 8th and Corona and was built in 1889. Originally the Historic Dora Moore School was named the Corona School. The cost for the land for the Corona School was $3,000. The Corona School was designed by architect Robert S. Roeschlaub. The cost for the school was $71,000, and the Corona School opened its doors in the fall of 1890. The total capacity for the Corona School was 700, with each classroom having a capacity for 60 children.
In 1892, the the Corona Schoolwelcomed a teacher by the name of Ms. Dora Moore. Dora Moorebecame the priniciple of the school in September of the following year. Dora Moore stayed at the school, as principle, for 35 years until her retirement in 1929. On September 2nd 1929, the Corona School was officially renamed Dora Moore School. Dora Moore died in March of 1938 at age 83.
Other facts regarding the Historic Dora Moore School:
In 1903, as a thank you, a group of mothers presented Ms. Dora Moore with a vacation to Europe.
In 1907, a student government system was instituted.
In 1909, an addition to the Dora Moore School was added at a cost of approximately $60,000.
In 1921, the 7th and 8th graders in the Dora Moore School were moved to the newly constructed Morey Junior High located at 840 East 14th Avenue.
In 1931, 7 additional lots were purchased south of the Dora Moore School building to be used as a playground for the children.
In October of 1974, the Student Council began a campaign to have the Dora Moore School designated as a city landmark. This step lead to a renovation project that was completed in 1978 at a cost of $600,000.
In 1991, a project that included a new gymnasium, a connector building, remodeling of the cafeteria, improvements in many classrooms, the 9th Avenue streetscape project and turning the playground area into a park for the neighborhood were completed at a cost of over $3,000,000. These projects turned the Historic Dora Moore School into a showcase building.
In 1995, with a grant from the State Historical Society, stained glass windows on the north side of the Dora Moore School building, dating from 1889 were restored.
In 2003, the exterior of the Historic Dora Moore School was restored at a cost of nearly $1,800,000. Almost 12,000 bricks on the exterior of the school were replaced with vintage bricks. Existing exterior stonework was reproduced to match the color and texure of the original existing stonework. All of the windows in the Historic Dora Moore School have been restored to date.
Many people whose names you may recognize have attended the Dora Moore Schoolincluding former Denver Mayors Quigg Newton (1947 to 1955) and Bill McNichols (1971-1983), Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Comedian Tim Allen and Mamie Doud Eisenhower.
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