the historic old central high school was designed by the prominent east coast architectural firm of palmer, hall, & hunt, with local assistance from duluth-based architects oliver g. traphagen and francis w. fitzpatrick. the cornerstone was laid in 1891 at a ceremony attended by roughly 7,000 people. the clock was manufactured by e. howard & co. of boston and installed in 1893. two years later, five bells, cast by the buckeye bell foundry of cincinnati, ohio, were added to the clock to chime the westminster quarters. from 1898 to 1942 a cannon stood on the high school's steps, a prize captured from the spanish warship "oquendo" during the spanish–american war. as america entered world war ii the cannon was donated to a scrap metal drive and melted down.