The History of Cunningham School

Cunningham School - 1925
Photo courtesy of Dick Graves

Cunningham School was constructed on Third Street in 1922. The school was built to replace Presque Isle's first high school (built in 1910) which was consumed by fire in the winter of 1921. Frank Cunningham came to the school in 1923 as a teacher/ principal. In the late 1940s, the town council decided that the town needed a new high school because of overcrowding. A new high school was erected in the city of Presque Isle, in 1949. The same year, 1949, the old high school was dedicated to Dr. Frankin S. Cunningham who had served there as principal for twenty-six years and renamed in his honor. Dr. Cunningham relocated to the new high school to serve as their principal. Cunningham School shut its doors for the last time in June of 2005 and all students and staff were relocated to the new Presque Isle Middle School. Cunningham Middle School was demolished in 2006.

The photos available on this site are the images that hung in the hallways of Cunningham Middle School that generations of students viewed on a daily basis. The photos now are available for purchase. The money raised in the sale of these photos will benefit the MSAD#1 Emergency Student Fund.

MSAD#1 maintains a Student Emergency Fund in order to help our students with specific needs related to their education. This fund is generated by donations from individuals and from fundraisers held by student body service clubs (i.e. Varsity Club). The MSAD# 1 Emergency Fund is accessed or administrated through MSAD#1’s Health Services Office.

The Emergency Fund is in place to help our children succeed in school. Student needs for items such as school supplies or warm winter clothing are referred to the Health Services Director. Recommendations are made by MSAD#1 social workers, teachers, and secretaries as needed.