To provide badly needed classroom space for grades one through eight, in 1894, Orem's second school was constructed. The Sharon School was named for Sharon, Vermont, the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the founder of the L.D.S. Church. It was build on the northeast corner of 300 North State Street on a two-acre parcel donated by John S. Park. Initial financing came from Mr. Park and Elliott Newell, each of whom contributed $100.00 toward the building.
However, the original structure soon proved inadequate for the number of students and an addition, comprising the east room of the school was erected in 1909.
In the cold weather, the Sharon School was heated by a small stove in a corner of the room with fuel provided by the school district. Older male students took turns retrieving the fuel from a large box at the back of the stove and keeping the stove running. On dark school days or during evening meetings, a kerosene lamp on a corner shelf provided light.
Sharon School was in operation until the end of the 1954-55 school year when it was sold for private use following the erection of a school also named Sharon School located at 500 North 400 East.
The building was then used for several more years for several other purposes, including a dance studio and a preschool. It was torn down in 1990 and a new commercial strip mall was built on the site.
(Orem Historic Homes and Sites of Interest. Orem, UT: Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, 2009.) Used with permission.
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