St. Joseph Central Catholic High School

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St. Joe History

Catholic education had its formal beginning in Huntington on September 12, 1872, when Father Thomas A. Quirk was first resident-pastor. He erected a combination church and school, and both Protestants and Catholics attended, the number being about equally divided, although, reports are that there were more Protestants than Catholics. Lay teachers assisted Father Quirk. Some subjects were of secondary level, and it is believed by many that the priest even taught college subjects to special students.

Three Sisters of Mercy came in 1894 to teach in the four-room school. They were replaced in 1895 by the Sisters of Charity from Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. In 1900 the Sisters of St. Joseph came to the school.

By 1924 the Catholic population of Huntington had become such that it was decided by the pastor, the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Henry Altmeyer, to afford the advantages of Catholic secondary education to the children of his parish. Ninth grade work was offered. It was the intention of the administrators to build up the curriculum yearly so that the full four year?s college preparatory course could be given. A room in the grade school building was used for the first two years for high school purposes. In 1926 a dwelling and garage on the corner of 6th Avenue and 13th Street was purchased to be converted into a high school. This was the beginning of the Catholic High School in Huntington. Two Sisters of St. Joseph and two lay teachers staffed the school. Only academic subjects were taught at that time, and it remained so until the building was replaced in 1930 by a new structure. This new building was furnished with a gymnasium, cafeteria, biology lab, and library.

In 1932, the State of West Virginia accredited St. Joseph High School as a first-class four-year senior high school. In 1959, St. Joseph became a Central High School for the parishes of Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Peter Claver, and St. Joseph. Also at this time five classrooms, a physics and chemistry lab were added and the gym was enlarged to regulation size. Then in September 2000 the Regina K. Zitter Technology Wing was added to the school. The new three-story addition houses a 28-station computer research lab, a math lab, and a science lab. And---a roof top deck with a weather station.

Through the years, St. Joseph High school has fostered a spirit of community through numerous clubs and extracurricular activities. In the fall of 1926 Msgr. Altmeyer fielded the first St. Joe football team. The school at that time consisted of only 9th, 10th, and 11th grades, very few boys, and hardly any equipment. As typical of the "St. Joe" spirit, the desire to participate and excel overcame all obstacles! In 1927, St. Joseph was the Catholic Football Champion of the Tri-State; and in 1928, the football team had 14 wins and only 1 loss. In August 1930 Msgr. Altmeyer died, and with his death the football program was terminated. Irish basketball also knew early success. From 1932 to 1938 their record was 122-18!! The 1937 team lost the first game of the season, then went through the rest of the season undefeated, including the West Virginia Catholic High School Tournament and the National Catholic High School Basketball Tournament at Loyola University. Since its beginning in the fall of 1978, the Irish soccer team has been a powerhouse in the state. St. Joseph has enjoyed athletic success, producing many strong teams and many talented athletes. While excelling in athletics, St. Joe students have not forgotten that academics come first at the school. The glory of athletic and academic excellence is the vision Monsignor Altmeyer had in 1926, and still is alive at St. Joseph High School.