Then Now
The gym was used for P.E. classes as well as sporting events, such as club boxing. Brick walls surrounded the court while a track ran around the ceiling.
No basketball games or boxing matches take
place today. However, additional basketball
hoops, a retractable batting cage, and safety
padding were added to the walls at some point.
While in operation, classrooms held desks
and genuine wooden bookshelves.
One wall contained windows, while the other
was bare. Rows of single ceiling lights lit the room.
Today, classrooms are bare. No desks,
no bookshelves. The ceiling lights have been
replaced with flourescent lights.
Two rows of lockers stacked on top of each other lined one side while corkboards for posters and notifications lined the other. Skylights and hanging lights kept the hall well lit.
Like the classrooms, the halls have been
stripped of most furnishings. Skylights have
been covered, and hanging lights have
been replaced with in-ceiling lights.
Brainerd was surrounded by more nature, creating
a relaxed and isolated atmosphere.
Today, houses surround the ex-high school,
and the widened road, with more and more traffic,
emits a busier aura around the building.
Surrounded by an intricate concrete doorway,
the main door, lit by two lamps, was brown
with windows separated by bars. An engraving
above the door reads "Libertyville Township
High School."
No significant structural changes have
been made over the years. A new, white door
with single pane windows has been installed
as well as more modern light fixtures.
Brainerd Throughout the Ages:
1916: Construction Starts
1917: Brainerd opens, replacing the previous Central School
1939: Marlon Brando enrolls; he is later expelled
1954: Butler Building built to accomodate increased enrollment
1961: Mundelin HS opens. Enrollment droppes and Brainerd is temporarily closes.
1964: Baby boomers reach high school age, requiring Brainerd to open again as a freshmen-only school
1999: Brainerd's final year as an academic school
2007: Brainerd is leased to the Village of Libertyville, and intended to be used as a community center
2009: Brainerd named to Chicagoland's Watch List of endangered landmarks
2010: Brainerd is now used for freshmen football games, girls lacrosse games, and tailgating before football games
Photos courtesy of Save Brainerd Foundation and by L. San