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For nearly 80 years, beginning toward the tail end of the 19th century, Elm Street would become home to Gardner High School in two different buildings over the years.

After the high school located on Chestnut Street became overcrowded in 1898, citizens voted to build the third high school building for the town on a three-acre lot donated on Elm Street by M.G. Morrill.

However, in time, many other community-spirited landholders of the area made available 11 more acres around the school to expand the grounds. That would certainly be useful in future years when another new high school and athletic field would be located nearby.

When Gardner High School (No. 3) was dedicated on Sept. 5, 1898, on Elm Street, the cost to the town was $37,500.

In 1902, the Armory, located on lower Elm Street, was moved behind the high school to afford

additional space. The building would be used for commercial arts and physical education.

Extracurricular activities in arts, music and athletics began to take hold at Gardner High, and over the years many of these were introduced to the students. They included the following: 1904 – “The Argus” made its literary appearance, named for the 100-eyed mythical creature because it was felt the 50-member Argus staff had “all eyes on Gardner High.”

1911 – The Athletic Association was formed, and on Jan. 5, 1912, the very first A.A. (Athletic Association) Ball was held at Gardner Town Hall.

1912 – The first coach hired for boys’ sports, Charles J. Fox, joined the high school faculty.

1914 – The first orchestra was formed.

1916 – The first senior play directed by faculty member Maude Cobleigh was held.

1919 – A bronze tablet of former Gardner High students who died in World War I was dedicated.

1923 – Gardner High athletic teams were nicknamed “Wildcats,” following coach Donald Baker’s hunting expedition where he shot a wildcat.

1925 – Minerva Cutler, the first full-time coach for girls’ sports, was appointed.

1926 – The first Gardner High School band was begun, under the auspices of the Rotary Club and directed by Mr. John Redmond.

By the mid-1920s, the school population increased to the point where a new high school was needed, but Gardner didn’t have to look far for the new location as the new Gardner High School would be located next door.

Today, the school is known as Helen Mae Sauter School, but it had many different tenants after Gardner High moved out.

After the new Gardner High was opened in 1927, this building was used as a middle school from 1927 until 1953, when it was closed by the city.

In 1965, the state rehabilitated the building and Mount Wachusett Community College used the building for classrooms.

The college left the building in 1974 when the new campus on Green Street was built. It was then used by the Montachusett Employment Training Program as well as the Montachusett Region Private Industry Council.

The city began using the building for an elementary school in 1987, and the following year it was dedicated in honor of longtime School Committee member Helen Mae Sauter.

In 2019, the School Committee voted to move the Gardner Academy for Learning and Technology (GALT alternative school) and the school district’s central office administration to the Helen Mae Sauter building.

Another new high school

Mayor Chester P. Pearson first recommended the push for a new high school in 1920, hoping to seek better accommodations for high school students. When Gardner first became a city in 1923, officials in the community felt that the need for a new high school was greater than that for a new city hall, and the building of the former should take precedence over the latter.

A variety of locations were explored, and in 1923 it was stated that members of the school building committee were not in favor of building the school on the present property owned by the school on Elm Street adjacent to the present high school.

The first site that was eyed was on land atop Lakeview Terrace off Central Street, overlooking the city’s water supply, Crystal Lake. However detractors felt that the land contained only a small tract of land at the top of a small knoll available to erect a building, while the remainder of the land would have to be terraced.

Later, land on Pleasant Street was considered due in part to the proximity to Wilder Field, where athletic contests could be held. While the school could be located near the thriving downtown area, the threat of congestion in that part of the city raised another red flag of sorts.

By 1925, five different architects determined that the property on Elm Street was most suitable for the new high school. The site contained 13 acres of land that could be maintained for school purposes and provide ample room for laying out athletic fields.

The price tag for the project was in the vicinity of $700,000, which would build a three-story brick building able to accommodate 1,313 students. Separate showers and locker rooms for boys and girls would be built to complement the mammoth gymnasium with movable bleachers.

There would also be a cafeteria with a seating capacity of 300 at one time, while the auditorium was capable of holding 1,011 students – including balcony seating above – and would be equipped with all of the modern amenities, including a motion picture booth.