150th Celebration
The history of Harrison School District Two began with its official organization on August 20, 1874, two years before Colorado became a state and three years after the city of Colorado Springs was founded.
1870s The Bates Schoolhouse
1890 Harrison School
1916 The New Harrison School
1950 Harrison School
1963 Harrison HS Construction Aerial View
1966 Old Bus Barn
1980 Bricker Elementary Grand Opening Advertising
1982 Sierra HS Ground Breaking
1982 Sierra HS Construction
1985 D2 Administration Building
1985 D2 Administration Building
1986 Turman Elementary being Built
1986 Turman Elementary being Built
1986 Harrison HS Graduation
1986 Harrison HS Graduation
1987 Otero Elementary being Built
1990 Choir at Sierra HS Graduation
1990 Harrison HS Graduation
1990 Harrison HS Graduation
Italian and English immigrant dairy farmers, Bates, Lewis, Allen, and Beaver, homesteaded along Fountain Creek and desired to provide the best possible education for their numerous children. At that time, legislation allowed three people who lived in close proximity to form a school if they were willing to support it. Then called District 2 or Bates School, Harrison School District Two is the second oldest organized school district in El Paso County.
In 1874, the first classes were conducted in the Bates farmhouse, located on what is now the Circle Drive Mobile Home Park. One teacher, 14 pupils; classes started in October and continued for four months. Bates dairy farm later became part of Sinton Dairy.
In 1891, Harrison School, a two room facility was built on the Lewis Dairy Farm, where the Broadmoor World Arena stands. It was named Harrison School and District for U.S. President Benjamin Harrison. Our district might easily have been named something else. According to handwritten accounts, there was substantial argument on the Board concerning the name.
Because this facility was located on the Lewis Dairy Farm, they wanted it named after them. And then everyone was fearful that the Beaver family, who might have had the most children in that school, would want to name it for all those little Beavers. However Frank Hemenway, then president of the Harrison Board of Education, solved the dilemma by naming the district after his wife's cousin, President Benjamin Harrison.