Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1846 as the first public high school in the city and the first free high school west of the Allegheny Mountains. Originally located in a church basement, it quickly gained public support and moved to a dedicated building in 1856. In 1878, it relocated again to a grand Victorian Gothic building on East 55th Street, complete with a bell tower donated by Laura Spelman Rockefeller. The school was known for academic rigor and later became a leader in vocational and commercial education, especially in the early 20th century. Central High played a key role in the education of African American students in Cleveland, particularly as the neighborhood demographics shifted. In 1952, it merged with East Technical High School, marking the end of Central as a standalone high school. A final building, constructed in 1940, continued to serve educational purposes before closing in 2013. Central High's music and arts programs were nationally recognized, especially its jazz and swing influence. Among its most famous alumni were John D. Rockefeller, Langston Hughes, and Benjamin O. Davis Jr. The school left a lasting legacy in education, civil rights, business, and the arts.