Out of curiosity tonight, I searched for my old elementary school, Lynn Lane Elementary, which was torn down some years ago. I ran across a site with a set of sad "abandoned building" photos of the school's permanent structures. I shared some of my thoughts on that site, which I will repost here.
The site is http://www.abandonedok.com/lynn-lane-school/ . Not only were the photos interesting, but other people's postings were as well.
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I'm quite late to this party, but just saw the site.
I went to first through 5th grade at Lynn Lane Elementary (1972 through 1977--the last couple of years they'd migrated most students out). I have wonderful childhood memories of the place. It's sad to see it in such a state, but buildings do not last forever. Even in their poor state, these photos brought out a lot of memories for me, things I have not thought about in decades.
I only remember a few of my teachers' names, but they had a profound effect on me, as children's teachers will. Mr. Petcoff was the principle--he was a kind man, and I have always looked up to, and liked him. I also liked Mr. Davis, the PE teacher, who taught square dancing as well as the standard dodgeball, tetherball, baseball, etc. I recall a few other teachers, but will control the urge to go on here, and just focus on the school.
When I was there, we had 5 portable buildings, from (as I was told) re-purposed WWII barracks. Those were long gone before these pictures were taken. They were for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, 3rd grade, 4th and 5th grade, and the cafeteria and the library.
From south to north in the south building, I remember the rooms being (when I was there): art (on the south end), music (with a small stage where we did our childhood plays), 4th grade science, a multi-purpose room where they had the nurse's station, etc., and the principal's and secretary's offices and copy room (the mimeograph machine with its odd purple output). .
The north building was, when I was there, the gymnasium (though I'd heard it had previously been the cafeteria as well). We did a lot of PE outside, but when we were inside, we would use the mats for tumbling, or we would square dance, or play some games with a parachute (my favorite), or some long bamboo sticks.
The storm shelter was always a place of intrigue to me as a child. It was small, so not many classes could fit down there, but I recall going down there once or twice with my class, either for drills or for actual tornado warnings. I recall that a few times, it was full of water, though I don’t know why it filled up (bad rain storms, maybe?).
I too remember the wild onions, honeysuckle and wildflowers around the edges of the property—many of the children in my class were quite taken with the onions, which made the rooms stink at some times of the year. The brook and its bridge were magical, and having all that room to run and play on across the stream was amazing as a child. I discovered books and SRA cards in the library and media center. I remember the big fans in the windows at the beginning of the school year, as there was no air conditioning, and the one big space heater in the gymnasium that kicked on every so often, and the crack in the east wall at the southeast corner of the gym between the cinder blocks (big enough to see through).
The school was reused as a charter school or something in the 1980's for a bit, before being closed down completely. I walked around the grounds for a few minutes, reminiscing, after I found it had been torn down completely.
Seeing these photos reminds me that a school is far more than just a set of buildings, and that the impact of an elementary school is profound, deep, and long-lasting.
(I hope the owners of the site don't mind me posting one of their photos, as these buildings are long gone.)
The site is http://www.abandonedok.com/lynn-lane-school/ . Not only were the photos interesting, but other people's postings were as well.
----------------
I'm quite late to this party, but just saw the site.
I went to first through 5th grade at Lynn Lane Elementary (1972 through 1977--the last couple of years they'd migrated most students out). I have wonderful childhood memories of the place. It's sad to see it in such a state, but buildings do not last forever. Even in their poor state, these photos brought out a lot of memories for me, things I have not thought about in decades.
I only remember a few of my teachers' names, but they had a profound effect on me, as children's teachers will. Mr. Petcoff was the principle--he was a kind man, and I have always looked up to, and liked him. I also liked Mr. Davis, the PE teacher, who taught square dancing as well as the standard dodgeball, tetherball, baseball, etc. I recall a few other teachers, but will control the urge to go on here, and just focus on the school.
When I was there, we had 5 portable buildings, from (as I was told) re-purposed WWII barracks. Those were long gone before these pictures were taken. They were for kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades, 3rd grade, 4th and 5th grade, and the cafeteria and the library.
From south to north in the south building, I remember the rooms being (when I was there): art (on the south end), music (with a small stage where we did our childhood plays), 4th grade science, a multi-purpose room where they had the nurse's station, etc., and the principal's and secretary's offices and copy room (the mimeograph machine with its odd purple output). .
The north building was, when I was there, the gymnasium (though I'd heard it had previously been the cafeteria as well). We did a lot of PE outside, but when we were inside, we would use the mats for tumbling, or we would square dance, or play some games with a parachute (my favorite), or some long bamboo sticks.
The storm shelter was always a place of intrigue to me as a child. It was small, so not many classes could fit down there, but I recall going down there once or twice with my class, either for drills or for actual tornado warnings. I recall that a few times, it was full of water, though I don’t know why it filled up (bad rain storms, maybe?).
I too remember the wild onions, honeysuckle and wildflowers around the edges of the property—many of the children in my class were quite taken with the onions, which made the rooms stink at some times of the year. The brook and its bridge were magical, and having all that room to run and play on across the stream was amazing as a child. I discovered books and SRA cards in the library and media center. I remember the big fans in the windows at the beginning of the school year, as there was no air conditioning, and the one big space heater in the gymnasium that kicked on every so often, and the crack in the east wall at the southeast corner of the gym between the cinder blocks (big enough to see through).
The school was reused as a charter school or something in the 1980's for a bit, before being closed down completely. I walked around the grounds for a few minutes, reminiscing, after I found it had been torn down completely.
Seeing these photos reminds me that a school is far more than just a set of buildings, and that the impact of an elementary school is profound, deep, and long-lasting.
(I hope the owners of the site don't mind me posting one of their photos, as these buildings are long gone.)
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