Cafeteria

Throughout school history Belleville West. there have been three Cafeteria buildings. The Original Cafeteria was in use from the beginning of the school (1918) until it was torn down to make room for the new Science-Library Building (1958). The second Cafteria (C-Building) was opened in January 1958 and was in use for the remained of time that Belleville West was at the West Main Street location (2003). The current cafeteria, now called the Commons, went into use in the

=The Original Cafeteria= The first Cafeteria building was constructed as part of the original Township High School Campus. Located immediately behind the Main Building (M-Building), the two were connected by an area known as the Quadrangle which had covered walkways. The front of the Cafeteria building was the food service area that could seat 1,000 students and faculty. The back of the Cafeteria building housed the Machine and Forge Shops and the school physical plant. The Cafeteria was easily recognizable from the smokestack that dominated the low flat structure.

Students in the 1955 yearbok described the Cafeteria as a place where, "students [...] and faculty members gorge themselves on plate lunches, candy bars, popcorn, and cream puffs, to the accompaniment of the roar from the machine shops at the rear of the building." Students in 1956 complained of their runied clothes that came from frequent spills due to overcrowding. The 1958 //Bellevinois// described the Cafeteria as a place where, "we have to rush to eat our lunches in order that we can give our place at a table to someone else."

The 1958 //Bellevinois// notes that, "Last spring our congested cafeteria became even more congested as workmen buildt a wall though it, effectively cutting it in half. It then resembled a bombed out building." The snack bar was temporarily moved to the Auditorium to provide more space for students to eat. Soon after this the eating portion of the Cafeteria was demolished along wtih the Quad to make room for the foundation of the Science-Libarary (N-building). The Shop portion of the building remained and was re-named the Shops Building (or S-Building). The S-Building, which was attached to the N-Building, remains standing today as part of the Lindenwood University Campus.

Click here for images from the original Cafeteria.

=The Quadrangle ("Quad")= The Quadrangle was the area located between the Cafeteria and the Main Building. The Quad was open air with trees and grass with covered walkways between the Main Building and the Cafeteria Building. . In order to alleviate overcrowding, a snack bar was opened in the Quad to allow students to get food without having to enter the Cafeteria. The Quadrangle had picnic tables where students could eat lunch outdoors which also relieved overcrowding. A popular meeting place between classes, the Quad was also the location of the senior commencement lineup according to the 1958 //Bellevinois//. The Quadrangle along with the original Cafeteria building was torn down in 1958 to make room for the new Science-Library Building (later called the N-Building).

=The Second Cafeteria (The C-Building)= In 1955, it had become apparent that the campus needed to undergo major renovations in order to accomodate the increasing number of students. School leaders, community members, and the students undertook a plan to levy a bond issue in order to finance major campus renovations. Students made phone calls, sent out flyers, and attended public meetings to discuss the overcrowded conditions. On election day, the commuity passes a two and one half million dollar bond issue to finance new campus construction. In addition to a renovation of the Girl's Gym, new Welding and Electrical Shops, and the new Science-Library Building, a new Cafeteria was to be constructed. The construction process took three and a half years to complete, with the new facility opening in the second half of 1958.

The yearbook describes the new Cafeteria as a place that, "looks more like a big public restaurant than a school cafeteria. Four serving lines can accomodate one thousand persons. who can be seated as one time. This and the modern kitchen and dishwashing facilities make our cafeteria larger and better equipped than restaurants in the entire area." The new facility was surrounded by windows and decorated in a beige and green color scheme with square tables seating four and round tables seating six people. The basement of the building housed the new modern art studios and classrooms, a campus bookstore, and the msuic department which had individual space for rehearsals as well as group performance rooms.

As the first air conditioned building on campus, the Cafeteria was a popular location for school events and community meetings. The school proms were moved from the Fieldhouse (or Main Gym) to the Cafeteria after its construction. Prom and other school dances remain in the cafeteria to this day. The second cafeteria building was discontinued in use when Belleville West relocated to their new facilities in 2003. Today the building is part of the Lindenwodo University campus and has been considered as a site for the Illinois State Police Forensic Lab. Lindenwood is planning to re-start food service in the Cafeteria when their daytime enrollment becomes larger.

= = = = =The Commons at the New Belleville West= The new Cafeteria (or Commons) is located as part of the new one building West campus that opened in 2003. Officially called the D-Building or D-Wing (for "Dining and Development" joked Principal Phil Silsby), the Commons is a state of the art facility that includes both indoor and outdoor seating as well as six serving lines and a snack bar. The new structure is two stories tall and open to the ceiling. It is overlooked by a glass walkway that connects the second floor to the gymnasium. The Commons is continues to be the site for school dances, faculty meetings, and other public events in addition to it's primary purpose of serving six lunch hours to over 2,500 students.