---
title: "The Grand Staircase | East High School, Denver"
url: https://eastangelfoundation.org/building/grand-staircase
description: "The grand staircase is the crossroads of East High School. The East Angel Foundation helps preserve the building's historic interiors."
lang: en
---

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Image: The grand marble staircase inside East High School, rising toward the arched upper landing (https://eastangelfoundation.org/__l5e/assets-v1/7bbc061f-7500-4583-90d4-7caf5187b2fc/campus-grand-staircase-pro.jpg)

The Building

# The grand staircase.

Every Angel passes through it. It is the part of the building alumni describe first when they come back.

The staircase is the crossroads of the 1925 building — the route between floors that nearly every Angel takes, and the detail alumni describe first when they walk back in.

Image: The carved stone arch and columns of an interior entrance at East High School (https://eastangelfoundation.org/__l5e/assets-v1/2996f34f-2b00-4543-95ec-cb5b091c5c88/campus-stone-arch.jpg)

Carved stone arch at an interior entrance

History

## The story of the grand staircase

The staircase came with the building East opened in 1925 on the City Park Esplanade, three years after construction began in 1922. The school was designed by George Hebard Williamson, an East graduate, and built as a crown jewel of Mayor Robert Speer’s “City Beautiful” plan for Denver.

East’s interiors were built to the same standard as its facade: stone, marble, carved arches, and heavy wooden doors, meant to carry a full school of students between floors for a century. They have, and the first-floor staircase has become one of the building’s most photographed features — it appears on the Foundation’s own greeting cards. The school at Colfax and Detroit is an official Denver Historic Landmark.

### Preservation today

Gifts to Historic Preservation and Buildings & Grounds fund the documentation and protection of interior features like this one. The Foundation’s Historic Preservation Review works alongside the Buildings & Grounds Committee, East’s administration, and Denver Public Schools to keep the building’s original craftsmanship intact.

### Timeline

- 1874 Denver’s first high school opens as Arapahoe School.
- 1881 “Old East” is built on Welton and Stout Streets.
- 1925 The Esplanade building opens, staircase and interiors included.

Compiled from the Foundation’s published school history and _Flights of Angels: A History of Denver East High School_. Additions and corrections from the History Committee are welcome.

Small stories

## Did you know?

The building keeps a few secrets. Here are the ones Angels ask about most.

Did you know?

### The statues

Missing asset The origin story of East's statues — to be supplied by the History Committee.

Image: The historic East High School building and its landmark clock tower (https://eastangelfoundation.org/assets/building-CPSaIr2h.jpg)

Did you know?

### The divot in the floor

Missing asset The mark left by a fallen skylight — story and floor-divot photo to be supplied by the History Committee. A 15-30 second vertical clip can drop into `clip`.

## Every gift keeps an Angel moving forward.

Your generosity funds scholarships, classroom projects, and the programs that make East East. EAF is a registered 501(c)3 — donations are tax-deductible.

Donate (https://eastangelfoundation.org/donate)

Donate to East Angel Foundation: https://eastangelfoundation.org/donate

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