Lebanon High School was originally built in the spring of 1909 across the street from the old Santiam Academy (established 1851), at a cost of $40,000, by Mr. McChesney of Albany, Oregon, contractor, and P.C. Brown of Portland, Oregon, architect. At the time, the building was the pride of Lebanon and "was modern in every way, complete with a brick structure, concrete foundation, and several large grade rooms, four classrooms, a large assembly room along with a library, office, halls, and a basement". These modern features extended to include electricity, running water, and central heating.