From the Ashes

On November 24th in 1966, Thanksgiving day, The Allendale School suffered from a large fire which destroyed most of the school. Operation Phoenix was the project name for the reconstruction and development of The Allendale School. Below is a packet created shortly after the fire which outlines the requirements and goals of the project. A short FAQ about the Operation can be found at the bottom of this article.

Operation Phoenix FAQ

What is the difference between the “Phoenix Fund” and Operation Phoenix?
Operation Phoenix was the project name for the reconstruction and development of The Allendale School. The “Phoenix Fund” is the campaign to gather funds. The goal of this effort was to raise $1,240,000 through donations in order to fund the construction of the new campus.

How much money did the Phoenix Fund raise?
The total amount of money that the Phoenix Fund raised for the reconstruction of Allendale was $1,313,346.

Why was it named the Phoenix Fund/Operation Phoenix?
The reason this effort was named after the Phoenix is because “Just as that legendary bird, the phoenix, after being consumed by fire rose from its own ashes to begin a new cycle of life, so can a reconstructed Allendale enter a new era of academic excellence” (quoted from the Operation Phoenix folder).

Were most people excited about the new construction plans?
While the fire was a terrible and tragic event, it allowed the construction of more modern and advanced facilities for Allendale. The overwhelming support (evidenced by the large sum of money that was donated) showed that people were willing to support the school and the new construction.

Did Allendale fulfill the goals outlined by Operation Phoenix?
Yes, almost all of the plans that were outlined by Operation Phoenix were fulfilled and have been constructed. However, there have been a few changes to the original plan, and some things never were built (e.g. The Winter Athletics Facility).