Heslar Naval Armory
Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, Riverside High School’s permanent home will be the former Heslar Naval Armory.
- Construction began on the Heslar Naval Armory in July 2017 and will be completed in early summer, well ahead of ahead of the start of next school year.
- The Heslar Naval Armory was built in in 1938 as a Works Process Administration (WPA) project as a naval reservist training center.
- The building, which was decommissioned in late 2015, played an important role in the preservation of freedom and democracy. It was an important intelligence-gathering post during World War II and housed top military leaders while they planned important European and Pacific campaigns.
- As a reservist training center, it already contained many classrooms and offices and was perfectly suited to become a high school.
- Part of the renovation work has been to preserve the building’s historical features, including terrazzo floors, 12’ x 15’ paintings in the gymnasium that are original to the building, original globe light fixtures, brass doors, and many, many beautiful nautical features
- Once completed, the building will tout a large gymnasium that will be home to our Argonaut athletics teams, a spacious 2-story music room that will be the rehearsal location for our incredible choir and instrumental music programs, four modern science labs, a coffee shop and so much more!
View historical photos of the Armory from the Indianapolis Star
