The building known today as Troester Media Center was built in 1907 and was named "Blair School" in honor of Francis P. Blair, Missouri congressman during the Civil War and staunch supporter of the Union (Foley, 1976). It is situated on the northeast corner of 34th and Renick Streets.
The original building was a two-room structure built at a cost of $11,300 for both building and grounds. At this time it was located within the Bliss School boundaries and served as an annex for them. In the fall of 1924, it was recognized as a separate school. In 1925, two additional rooms were built, making four rooms on each floor.
On Sunday, April 14, 1940, while the structure was being remodeled, the front section burned. The students were sent to Hall, Musser, and the Second Presbyterian Church to finish the year. The remodeling just mentioned was the addition of a gymnasium-auditorium on the east end. In 1959, an east wing of four rooms was added.
As the 1970's came to a close and the 1980's opened, the district had many schools within a few blocks of each other. The city continued to move east and the Blair District became an area of retired citizens. This decline in enrollment caused the District to close Blair and convert it into the District's audio-visual department, bookroom, retrieval center, and general warehouse.
In 1990, Blair School was renamed Troester Media Center in honor of Dr. Gerald D. Troester, who served as Superintendent of the St. Joseph School District from 1969 to 1987.