From the Archives: 1929 oil discovery closes Venice school
The fall 1929, discovery of oil in Venice unleashed a rush to drill. A story in the March 31, 1930, Los Angeles Times reported that, “nearly sixty Venice property owners have been granted drilling permits by the Los Angeles City Council upon approval of the City Planning Commission. “
Many of the new oil derricks rose up next to Florence Nightingale School forcing closure of the school
A story in the Oct. 30, 1930 Los Angeles Times reported:
Almost surrounded by oil derricks, the Florence Nightingale School at Venice was ordered abandoned and its pupils transferred to other institutions. The action, taken at a joint conference of the Venice Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Education, was deemed necessary because of the noise and fire hazard.
Two hundred pupils routed from their classrooms have been distributed to other schools and disposition of the abandoned schoolhouse will be made later. There is a possibility that it will be turned over to the oil interests in order to obtain revenue for a new building in a less turbulent neighborhood.
Several years later the school was reopened, but closed again in 1956. The school was located on Trolleyway at Island Street. The streets are now named Pacific Ave. and Anchorage St.
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