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Fort Scott loses a historic structure, students get safer, healthier facilities
A long-standing local Catholic landmark crumbled to the ground on Tuesday.
Small groups of area residents assembled late Tuesday morning in the 700 block of South Eddy Street to watch the demolition of the St. Mary's Catholic School, 702 S. Eddy St., a building that was built in 1923.
One of those residents was Carol Brown, a long-time secretary at the school who became a little nostalgic and emotional, and wiped a couple of tears from her eyes before continuing to take photos of the building's gradual destruction with a digital camera.
"It's sad. I hate to see it like this, but it was time. And the new school is going to be wonderful," Brown said Tuesday as she watched the building being razed to the ground.
Krista Gorman, the principal of the school, said she is heartbroken that the historical building must be torn down, but added that water damage and termite infestations that have occurred throughout the years have taken a toll on the building. For the last couple of years, the school has been battling termites in a couple of its classrooms, Gorman said.
Although each year school officials have had the building treated for termites, the problem progressively worsened. In addition to the termites, the school's basement had a tendency to flood during heavy rains. The water in the basement had worked its way up the walls in the building, causing them to decay over time, and making it necessary to rebuild the school, Gorman said.
To some people in the community, the demolition, which is being conducted by Walker Construction of Fort Scott, may seem unnecessary. However, Walker Construction employee Bobby Wisdom, who was among those who thought tearing down the building was unnecessary, quickly changed his mind once he saw the shape the building was in on the inside, according to Gorman.
After removing layers of the building's interior, it became evident to Wisdom by looking at the rotten condition of the walls how important it was for the school to be rebuilt, Gorman said.
"It's sad because of the history and memories and what it stands for," Gorman said. "But it (history) will all be carried into the new facility, which will be more than just a school."
Although the former school building was used solely for educational purposes, Gorman said in addition to the school, the new building will house church offices and an Adoration Chapel. Gorman said that 80 years ago, when the parish leaders made the decision to build the school, they made the decision for the betterment of the parish.
"Now, it's our turn to act for the betterment of the parish," she said.
In an effort to carry as much history into the new facility as possible, Gorman said pieces of the former building, such as three medallions which were on the front of the building, in addition to a statue of The Virgin Mary, will be used in the new facility. The new facility will also display the same cornerstone as the former building, Gorman said.
While construction crews were salvaging these historical pieces of the original building, Gorman said construction workers discovered a time capsule which had been placed behind the cornerstone in 1923. The capsule, which was held tightly together with tar, contained a July 1923 edition of The Fort Scott Tribune, a copy of The Catholic Advance, a list of donors who donated to the school, and three years of financial statements for the parish.
Gorman said if everything goes as planned, the new facility, which will be located on the same property as the original building, will be completed in July 2009. The new parish facility and school will be built to adjoin onto the Kennedy Gymnasium, a separate building that is frequently used by the school for various events and activities. The gymnasium is located just to the northwest of the existing parish building.
While the new building is being constructed next school year, about 55 preschool through 5th grade students will begin class in temporary mobile units located near the Kennedy Gymnasium, Gorman said.
The parochial school has been an institution in Fort Scott since 1865, when it operated as a temporary Sisters of Mercy hospital. At the time, the opening of the building as a Catholic school was delayed due to a community need for a hospital. An old stone church, which was designated to be the new school, served as a temporary hospital until a new hospital was constructed elsewhere in Fort Scott.
The old church was remodeled into a school again in 1891, and provided Catholic education for first through eighth grade students. The building that was demolished on Tuesday was built in 1923 using stone from the original building as a foundation and lower level of the new school.