September 7, 2026 – Pillars from the former Decatur High School were unveiled Monday at the Decatur Civic Center, marking the 115th anniversary of the school’s opening.
History of the Heartland, in collaboration with the City of Decatur and the Decatur Civic Center, returned preserved elements of the school’s front pillars to the site where Decatur High School, later known as Stephen Decatur High School, operated from 1911 to 1975 on Franklin Street.
The original pillars stood 21 feet tall and were constructed from eight stacked drums made of reddish Jacobsville sandstone quarried from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Six of the preserved pillar drums were positioned on the Civic Center’s entrance plaza along Franklin Street. Two original pillar bases were placed behind the Stephen Decatur monument south of the Civic Center. Their placement fulfills the original design intent of incorporating elements of the school’s pillars into the monument.
The pillar pieces were preserved when the school was demolished, with city employees later moving and storing them at the Municipal Service Center.
History of the Heartland commissioned preservation architect Stephen J. Kelly, a Decatur High School graduate, to study the pillars and their origins in 2024. His report was provided to the Civic Center and City of Decatur.
History of the Heartland founder Ayn Owens said the project was the result of efforts by many people over several decades, including city employees who preserved and stored the pillars and hundreds of school alumni who donated in 1990 to create the space behind the Stephen Decatur monument.
