Thursday, February 13, 2014

Lowell School 60th Anniversary – Feb 1956

Here's a nice full-page historical article from the Feb. 11, 1956 Lorain Journal about the 60th anniversary of Lowell School. (Give it a click for a large, readable version.)

The school was located on East 31st Street and opened in February, 1896. According to The History of Lorain Schools, it was originally called the 13th Avenue School, because before Lorain renamed its streets in 1909, that was the street on which it was located. The school was named after James Russell Lowell (1819 - 1891), an American poet, critic, and diplomat.

The article really drives home the point that school buildings unite students, teachers and alumni. To celebrate the anniversary, an Open House was held at the school. Former teachers were invited back, and they went to the classrooms in which they taught so that they could greet their former students.

It looks like it was quite a wonderful affair. They even had a special banquet to commemorate the occasion.

Nowadays, schools in Lorain are routinely and quietly demolished with no regard for the memories or shared experiences of the former teachers and students. And that's not only a shame – it's a disgrace.

I would have liked to visit Masson School one last time before it was demolished and trucked away.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree. Old schools are sentimental buildings and some have beautiful architecture so they should be preserved, rather than allowed to go to pot and then torn down because the plan is to replace it with something ugly.

Unknown said...

While I am not old enough to remember this school, I have heard some stuff about it. Apparently, this school wasn't demolished by choice I have been told that there was a fire in it in the mid 1960s and they had to raze the building after extensive damage was done. Needing a new school fast they built the new Lowell school next to Whittier Middle School. Lorain City Schools then sold the land of the original school and it is now home to Lowell Apartments.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.442236,-82.134663,3a,75y,357.1h,76.1t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sAb7BgbnciAAzXpmgwZsmuQ!2e0
I wonder if what I have been told is true....

Dan Brady said...

HI Owen!
Thanks for the additional information and the great link. I pasted it into my browser and it was interesting to see what is at the site today--saved me the trouble of driving out there to see!
Dan