I just returned from Texas where I attended my high school class reunion. It was a wonderful trip down memory lane as I renewed friendships with people I graduated with, some of whom I’ve known since first grade.
My mother and sister still live in my hometown so my daughters joined me and my husband for a family reunion as well. It was a bonus to have my daughters attend some of the school reunion festivities and experience a sense of who I was in high school through stories shared by old classmates.
A highlight of the class reunion was an opportunity for us to tour my old high school. I must tell you that the architecture of this building is awesome! My classmates and I loved it dearly when we attended and have continued to talk about how lucky we were to have had such an amazing building in which to learn. Even as teenagers, we seemed to relate to the special environment that supported our learning and socializing during those important years. We definitely had a relationship with the building and felt its grounded and nourishing presence in our lives.
The first high school was founded in 1891 as a one room school and named after Thomas S. Lubbock, a Confederate Colonel, Texas Ranger and brother to the governor of Texas during the time of the Civil War. The original announcement of the school's opening read: "Schooling for all who could reach it by pony, wagon, buggy or on foot." In the fall of 1929, city planners began planning for a new high school. Construction began in 1930, and the current building was completed in 1931.
During the planning stages, some of the city founders felt the proposed building was too expensive and elaborate for a “high school,” especially since it was the beginning of economic hardship from the onset of the Great Depression. I am grateful to the farsighted leaders who disagreed. They were the ones who felt the high school should be more than just a school but rather a tribute to learning for generations to come. Despite the Great Depression and a population of only about 5,000, a local architectural firm designed the richly ornamented northern Italian Romanesque style structure featuring two and three story classroom wings, offices, a gym and auditorium all constructed around two open courtyards. The school featured decorative brickwork, terra cotta ornamentation, a bell tower and gorgeous three dimensional tiles throughout. Indeed, the high schools built much later are deteriorating and require major renovation. Not my high school! Due to its distinctive architecture, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The school is known for its academic program and, I might mention, for the fact that it has produced a number of talented musicians and vocalists over the years including Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Mac Davis and Natalie Maines.
The young students who served as our tour guides that day also spoke with tremendous pride about their school. Like every generation of students who have graduated from there, they, too, are aware the building was built with the intention of honoring the education of the youth who would be the citizens and leaders of tomorrow. It is as if the building respects the young people who enter, and its beauty and strength set a high expectation for academic excellence. All these years later, the accumulated energy of generations of students who graduated with pride from this school was palpable as we walked the halls. Positive chi is still alive and well there after 77 years!
My mother and sister still live in my hometown so my daughters joined me and my husband for a family reunion as well. It was a bonus to have my daughters attend some of the school reunion festivities and experience a sense of who I was in high school through stories shared by old classmates.
A highlight of the class reunion was an opportunity for us to tour my old high school. I must tell you that the architecture of this building is awesome! My classmates and I loved it dearly when we attended and have continued to talk about how lucky we were to have had such an amazing building in which to learn. Even as teenagers, we seemed to relate to the special environment that supported our learning and socializing during those important years. We definitely had a relationship with the building and felt its grounded and nourishing presence in our lives.
The first high school was founded in 1891 as a one room school and named after Thomas S. Lubbock, a Confederate Colonel, Texas Ranger and brother to the governor of Texas during the time of the Civil War. The original announcement of the school's opening read: "Schooling for all who could reach it by pony, wagon, buggy or on foot." In the fall of 1929, city planners began planning for a new high school. Construction began in 1930, and the current building was completed in 1931.
During the planning stages, some of the city founders felt the proposed building was too expensive and elaborate for a “high school,” especially since it was the beginning of economic hardship from the onset of the Great Depression. I am grateful to the farsighted leaders who disagreed. They were the ones who felt the high school should be more than just a school but rather a tribute to learning for generations to come. Despite the Great Depression and a population of only about 5,000, a local architectural firm designed the richly ornamented northern Italian Romanesque style structure featuring two and three story classroom wings, offices, a gym and auditorium all constructed around two open courtyards. The school featured decorative brickwork, terra cotta ornamentation, a bell tower and gorgeous three dimensional tiles throughout. Indeed, the high schools built much later are deteriorating and require major renovation. Not my high school! Due to its distinctive architecture, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The school is known for its academic program and, I might mention, for the fact that it has produced a number of talented musicians and vocalists over the years including Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Mac Davis and Natalie Maines.
The young students who served as our tour guides that day also spoke with tremendous pride about their school. Like every generation of students who have graduated from there, they, too, are aware the building was built with the intention of honoring the education of the youth who would be the citizens and leaders of tomorrow. It is as if the building respects the young people who enter, and its beauty and strength set a high expectation for academic excellence. All these years later, the accumulated energy of generations of students who graduated with pride from this school was palpable as we walked the halls. Positive chi is still alive and well there after 77 years!
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1 comments:
Hinda--Thank you for including a photo of your school. I was reminded of a visit I paid to Hibbing High School last summer. The building is beautiful and the high school home of Bob Dylan. Hmm...maybe there is something about creativity and a nurturing environment.
Thanks! Rebecca
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