One last look back at an Old Friend!
This page loads a bit slow....But please give it time...I think you'll like what you see! notice the 2 workers under the eve in the top left hand corner of the building! |
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Dunkirk High School...or the Academy as was her real name!
thanks to the Dunkirk High Class of 1958 for preserving this old photograph in thier yearbook!
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The oldest picture of the old Academy I could find
DHS in 1904 Notice the open clock tower...every winter it filled with snow...every summer the wood rotted...and soon the front of the building was unstable photo from the Dunkirk High & Saint Mary's Academy Class of 1940 |
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A beautiful School
Its rumored that Christopher Columbus went to school here... but he wasn't in my Class! |
old DHS from the clouds
By the early 1960s it was clear that Dunkirk needed a new high school...enrollment was at record highs as "Baby Boomers" were now entering High School.Dunkirk made plans for a new High School but each time the School Bond came up for a vote...the measure was defeated. But FINALLY in 1964 the new High School was approved and the Old Dunkirk Academy was asked to "hold on just a little longer"! |
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Through these doors....so many of Dunkirk's Children passed!
By the time we got to the old Academy...she was way past her prime...in fact she had been condemned and Students weren't allowed above the first floor...but even so...when we changed classes on the first floor...the old building just shook! |
a postcard of the Dunkirk Academy from the 1930s
Things were so crowded the the School Board came up with the idea of "Split Sessions"...the 8th grade met in the Auditorium at the high school at 6:30am and had Gym, Art, Shop, Home Economics and Music...and about 8:30 re grouped in the auditorium in "sections" and walked down to Old #1 School where we had all our Core Classes. About 12:30 the 7th graders met at the High School Auditorium...separated into "sections" (Decided upon how crazed they thought you were) andhad their Shop, Art, Music, Gym and Home Economics classes...and anything else they could come up with to give those poor teachers some "screaming time" between the wild 8th graders who by now were justsettled down...and the 7th graders who will wild and full of energy...and ready to go! That Blimp...Yea I wondered about that myself! |
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almost looks like this picture is in color...someone had spilled something red on the photo
The Split sessions were just terrible but there wasn't enough room at the old schools...so the Academy and old #1 School were asked to hold on just a while longer photo from the Dunkirk High & Saint Mary's Academy Class of 1940 |
The Magnificent Ivy Tower
In 1965 land was cleared at the old Athletic Field and construction began on the New Dunkirk High School...allthrough 1965 construction continued photo by Mack Pulawski |
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Dunkirk Academy just after completion 1896
photo from the Dunkirk High & Saint Mary's Academy Class of 1940 |
Just before the old Academy School fell...down came the old Elm tree...itself a victim of Dutch Elm disase
and just before Sept of 1966 the new school was completed.....I remember kids lined up in long lines....each carrying a dozen or so Library Books from the old Library down the stairs...out thedoors. and down 6th street to the new High School and into the new Library ...all the while teachers yelling "don't lose your place in line?...The whole contents of the library were transferred by using this method (except Miss Osborne...she was delivered later by flat bed truck!) |
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First floor of old Dunkirk Academy
FINALLY...the new High School was completed...and it was time to "retire" the Old Dunkirk Academy...she had served Dunkirk so very well! |
Front Entrance of old Dunkirk Academy
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soon the building we were all so familiar with...was a shapeless wreck
photo by Billy Ebert |
And in a cloud of dust....She was gone!
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