Demolition of Oshkosh’s Merrill School Building Begins

OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — More than a century of history is coming down in Oshkosh.

Demolition of Merrill Middle/Elementary School has begun. The site will become an athletic field for Vel Phillips Middle School. The district plans to build a memorial at the southwest corner of the site, commemorating the eponymous James Merrill, Henry Auler, the architect who designed the school, and Harold Schumerth, a beloved teacher and football coach.

The city council approved rezoning the land in September.

Merrill was built in 1901, with additions in 1932, 1953, 1965, 1992 and 1997.

Merrill’s elementary students now attend the new Menominee Elementary School.