For the Reporter

A pair of 1929 historic lampposts welcome the public to the new Auburn High School, 711 E. Main St.

The Auburn Japanese Association originally presented three sets of lampposts to the Auburn School District as a gift that adorned the entrances to the three Auburn schools in existence in 1929.

After demolition and construction of the old buildings, only one pair of the lampposts remained. In 1980, the local Japanese-American Citizens League launched a fundraising drive to restore and reinstall the remaining lampposts at the entrance of the Auburn High School Performing Arts Center. The eagles, which adorned the originals, had disappeared and a local sculptor volunteered to mold and cast replicas of the originals.

In preparation for installation at the new Auburn High, the lamps were stripped of multiple layers of old paint and refinished with new weather proof coatings, both inside and out, to match the look at their re-dedication in 1980.

The locally-sculpted 1980 ceramic eagles had deteriorated and were fragile, so new metal eagles were provided.

Additionally, the old incandescent light fixtures were replaced with more energy-efficient LED light fixtures.