Haven
Middle School
Haven Middle School History
Haven Middle School originally opened in 1888 on Sherman Ave and Church St. That Haven School closed in the 1920s. The current Haven School on Prairie Avenue was built in 1927. It was built as an elementary school to replace Crandon School, but was redesigned to take in Boltwood intermediate students after a fire at Boltwood. Boltwood had served both District 75 (North Evanston) and District 76 (South Evanston) students, and Haven was also initially built for both districts. However, the parents of District 76 felt that the new Haven school was too far away, so they advocated for their own school, which would become Nichols. Because the new Haven school was initially built for students of both districts, it had extra room. So for a period, Haven School also housed elementary schoolers from Crandon School, which had closed in 1928.
Dr. Otis E. Haven
Haven Middle School is named for Dr. Otis Erastus Haven,* who was the Superintendent of Evanston Public Schools for nine years. As Superintendent, Haven campaigned for a public high school that would be open to Evanston youth of all backgrounds. This was at a time, in the late 1880s, when there were few publicly funded schools beyond 8th grade. This idea was met with some opposition by residents who felt that a public high school would be a waste of taxpayers' money. When Haven died in 1888, the community responded by naming the newly-built school in his honor. In 2009, it was proposed to rename Haven School Morton School to honor former Haven school principal and Evanston Mayor Lorraine Morton. It was ultimately decided to name the Evanston Civic Center after Mayor Morton instead, and Haven retained its original namesake.
*Not to be confused with Erastus Otis Haven, Otis Erastus Haven’s father, who was a prominent Methodist minister and president of Northwestern University and the University of Michigan.
Haven School Timeline
| 1888 | The first Haven School opens on Sherman Avenue and Church Street |
|---|---|
| 1927 | The new Haven School opens on Prairie Avenue |
| 1928 | Haven wins an award for Architectural Excellence |
| 1929 | Fourth floor music rooms are added to the building |
| 1934 | Orthopedic room for children with disabilities opens |
| 1950 | Allied arts wing is added |
| 1954 | Additional gym wing is added |
| 1964 | Haven purchases property to enlarge the playground |
| 1978 | Haven celebrates 100 years with a tea for alumni and drama/musical performances |
The D65 School History project is the result of a partnership with Evanston History Center. This research was completed by the Evanston History Center with research contributions by Perrine Tran (ETHS Class of 2026).
School History
Interested in the history of other District 65 schools?
Chute Middle School, originally named Oscar M. Chute Junior High, opened in 1966.
Dawes School is named after U.S. Vice President General Charles G. Dawes.
Dewey Elementary School was the first school in Evanston to have a kindergarten.
In 2004 Dr. Bessie Rhodes became the first Black woman to have a school named after her in Evanston.
The original King Lab was located in what is now Family Focus.
Ellen Foster, the first principal, viewed the school as a community hub.
Haven Middle School was initially built to serve students from two school districts.
Joseph E. Hill became Evanston's first Black superintendent of schools in 1975.
Namesake Homer Kingsley started the first Evanston public school kindergarten in 1882.
In the 1890s, children voted to name their new school "Lincoln" after the U.S. President.
The name incorporates nearby geographical features: Lincoln Street and a wooded area.
Frederick Nichols worked closely with the architect to create a school full of treasures.
Oakton is home to murals created by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.
Orrington's site was previously home to a Potawatomi village and burial ground.
The predecessor to Park School was established in 1949 by a group of parents.
The school was named after Chicago-area philanthropists Daniel and Ada Rice.
Walker opened to address rising enrollment due to the baby boom generation.
The yellow brick building on the corner of Main and Ashland is the original school.
The school was named after world-renowned social reformer Frances Willard.