February 1996 — The Newhall Elementary School Auditorium is used for storage.

Completed in 1941, the current Newhall Elementary School auditorium building on Walnut Street (shown) replaced the 1925 auditorium that burned down with the rest of the school in the Valentine's Day fire of 1939.

In 1975, the auditorium was converted to a warehouse for school supplies so the Newhall School District could open a fifth school (Meadows) to accomodate the massive influx of school-age children that came with the development of Valencia. At that time, to qualify for state school construction funding, school districts had to demonstrate they were maximizing the use of all existing space for classrooms. Auditoriums, multi-purpose rooms and even enclosed hallways counted. To qualify for funding, the district would have to hold classes in the auditorium — which it did do, for a time, until it convinced the state to take the auditorium off the books by converting it into a warehouse.

And so it remained until a new chapter in the auditorium's life unfolded decades later.

Photographer unknown. The boys are Stephen Rasmussen (son of Patti & Charles Rasmussen) and Travis Shefhausen (sp?).