The History of Ford's Assembly Plant in Des Moines, Iowa
The Central Campus building of Des Moines Public Schools, located at 1800 Grand Avenue, is a historic six-story brick-and-masonry structure that was originally built by the Ford Motor Company in 1917–1918 as a Model T assembly plant. It was designed to serve as a massive factory, with dimensions equivalent to six football fields, and later retooled to produce aircraft engines during WWII. [1, 2, 3]
Key Historical Milestones
- 1917-1918: Constructed by Ford Motor Company.
- 1920-1932: Served as an assembly plant for Model T, Model A, and later models.
- 1932-1943: Operated as a Ford sales service branch and warehouse.
- WWII Era: Retooled for Solar aircraft engine manufacturing.
- 1953-1986: Transformed into Des Moines Technical High School (known as "Tech High").
- 1986-Present: Became Central Campus, a regional magnet career-technical academy serving high school students throughout central Iowa. [1, 3, 4, 5]
Educational Evolution - In 1982, the district began the transition from Technical High School to Central Campus to offer specialized high-quality courses that were not available at local high schools. Today, it functions as a "Regional Academy" for Des Moines Public Schools, housing state-of-the-art curricula ranging from automotive technology—which still uses part of the original assembly plant layout—to marine biology, animal science, and culinary arts. The facility was undergoing major, multi-phase renovations as of 2013. [1, 6, 7]
[1] https://www.dmschools.org/2013/05/central-campus-shows-off-great-facilities-world-class-programs/
