The Original Sharon School

The site of the old Sharon School.

Sharon School, Orem’s second school, was constructed in 1894 to provide badly needed classroom space for grades one through eight. The school was named for Sharon, Vermont, the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was built on the northeast corner of 300 North State Street on a two-acre parcel donated by John S. Park. Initial financing came from Mr. Park and Elliott Newell, each of whom contributed $100 toward the building. However, the original structure eventually was inadequate for the number of students and in 1909 an additional room was added to the east side of the school. In cold weather the school was heated by a small stove in a corner of the room with fuel provided by the school district. Older male students took turns stoking the fire and retrieving the fuel from a large box at the back of the stove. On dark school days or during evening meetings a kerosene lamp on a corner shelf provided light. Sharon School operated until the end of the 1954-55 school year when it was sold following the erection of a school also named Sharon School located at 500 North 400 East. The building stood for several more years, being used for various purposes including as a dance studio and a preschool. It was demolished in 1990 and replaced by a commercial strip mall.

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