Press Release - National Historic Preservation Week
April 28, 2001/NTHF
CONTACT: Mary Helmer, 1-800-96TEACH or mainstr@valu-line.net
Emporia Main Street "Honoring the Past, Imagining the Future"
(Emporia, KS) - Citizens in Emporia will join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of the 30th annual National Historic Preservation Week, May 13-19, 2001. "Restore, Renew, Rediscover Your Historic Neighborhood Schools!" is the theme of the week-long celebration that has been sponsored annually by the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 1971.
"At the heart of every American community is the neighborhood school," said National Trust President Richard Moe. "In this age of sprawl, it's more important than ever to rediscover the role historic neighborhood schools play in towns and cities across the nation. Preservation Week is a time for students, families and communities to come together and rally round these marvelous and irreplaceable neighborhood anchors."
As part of the walking celebration, Emporia Main Street and the Lyon County Historical Society will sponsor two special activities. On May 17th, at the National Teacher’s Hall of Fame, 1320 C of E Drive, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the Emporia Board of Education will be recognized for its efforts to maintain Emporia's neighborhood schools. Last year William Allen White School celebrated its 50th anniversary. Recent additions to the school were kept in the architectural style of the original building. The interior of Lowther North Intermediate School has been renovated over the past three years by restoring and preserving many of its original architectural details. The school was built in 1914 as the high school. Similar projects are under way at Lowther South Intermediate School, built in 1923 as a junior high school. Another extensive renovation project is under way at Kansas Avenue, a school built in 1927 that now houses the Adult Education Center, bilingual education services, and office for the drug and alcohol programs. During the next two years, the district will build new schools to replace Maynard and Mary Herbert Schools, but the old buildings will still be used. Both will be renovated to house preschool and alternative school programs and special education offices.
Special recognition will be given to Todd Covault, assistant superintendent of business, and Daniel Bolm, chief of maintenance. Covault and Bolm have spearheaded the renovation efforts that have returned the older schools to their original architectural state. However, both men acknowledge that past boards of education and administrations also should be credited with taking good care of the schools. The district invested in maintenance and renovations throughout the 20th Century. Special recognition will also be given to Harry Hart, retired District Art Coordinator, for his efforts in creating special color and graphic designs within the school buildings.
In the morning and afternoon of May 18th several 5th grade classes from Lowther South Intermediate School and Sacred Heart School will take a walking tour of historic downtown Emporia and visit the Granada Theatre. The Granada Theatre, which is currently being renovated, was built in 1929 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Emporia Main Street and the Lyon County Historical Society encourage the citizens of the community to take a few moments during Preservation Week and appreciate the unique architectural heritage of Emporia. As tangible reminders of the generations who came before us, historic places help create the sense of continuity and community that come from acknowledging the shared history that has shaped us a community.
Emporia Main Street and the Lyon County Historical Society are nonprofit organizations, which promote and encourage the preservation of historic sites in Emporia. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is the only private, nonprofit membership organization chartered by Congress and dedicated to the preservation and continued use of America's architectural, cultural and maritime heritage.