The Oshkosh Area School District is giving the community a chance to own a piece of history. As the district prepares for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art 800-seat performing arts auditorium at Oshkosh North High School, the Webster Stanley seats currently located in the upper lecture hall area of the auditorium are available to the community on a first-come, first-served basis.

Seat Details

Originally purchased for Webster Stanley in 2014 through a dedicated grassroots community fundraising campaign, the seats were repurposed by the district during the school’s 2023 demolition. A portion of the seats was used to completely replace the seating at Oshkosh West High School’s Tom Lynch Little Theater – where they remain in active use today. The remaining inventory was installed in the upper lecture hall area of Oshkosh North High School’s Jessie Jack Hooper Auditorium.

Because these seats cannot be integrated into the new performance space being built at North, the district initially attempted to sell them through an online surplus auction and explored donation options, but received no interest. At this time, the district is opening up reservations directly to the community. The seats share armrests and middle support frames and are available in connected rows of 3 or 4 seats.

Community members who wish to claim a row must fill out the online request form by Friday, July 31, 2026. Pickup will take place exclusively during the week of Aug. 10 to ensure the site is cleared for the start of the school year and upcoming construction timeline.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.