PRAIRIE GROVE -- Bricks from the demolition of the old Prairie Grove High School on Mock Street will continue to be available for those in the community who would like one to keep for sentimental reasons.
Weston Bartholomew of Pick-it Construction, Inc., said many who work for the company attended Prairie Grove schools and their children now are Prairie Grove students. He said the idea was brought up to give away bricks to those who want one and Nathan Ogden, owner of Pick-it, told him, "Let's do it."
A message about the bricks was posted on Facebook and within five minutes, people were lined up to get one. As the pile dwindles, more will be added out front, just beyond the chained fence that surrounds the demolition project.
"I got one," Bartholomew said. "They were a hot commodity."
Bartholomew said most of his family, including his grandparents, attended school in the building.
The Class of 1954 for Prairie Grove High School was the first group to graduate from the former high school building now being demolished by Les Rogers Excavating & Materials of Fayetteville. Pick-it is construction manager for the project.
The company started tearing down the building July 11 and most of the work should be finished by the end of this week, according to Bartholomew, who is overseeing the project for Pick-it.
Bartholomew said Prairie Grove School District is paying about $220,000 for asbestos removal, demolition, debris haul-off and regrading for the project.
The demolition actually is a part of the district's project to build the new middle school on Viney Grove Road. Prairie Grove schools received state partnership money for the middle school and the partnership money was tied to the district agreeing to tear down the old high school building.
Several people last week shared memories of being in the old high school building.
District registrar Robin Daniels began working in the old high school in fall 1995, first as a counselor's secretary and then as the building secretary. She said the old school did not seem small until the new high school building opened on Bush Street in fall 2005.
When the new high school opened, the old building continued to be used as Prairie Grove Middle School. Most recently, it was used for eighth grade classes for Prairie Grove Junior High.
"We felt like family," Daniels said. "It didn't feel small. It felt like home."
Teachers were all in the same building, but as student enrollment grew, the district added buildings to the campus.
"You could hear lockers banging in the hallway," she said. "I remember we put up the (American) flag every morning and would say the Pledge. We would take it down in the afternoon and fold it up. It was a tradition that was unique."
Daniels said she did not get a brick from the demolition.
"I'm not really sentimental about tearing it down," she said. "It needed so much work. You can only do so much."
Ryan Cook, an engineering teacher at Prairie Grove High School, graduated from the old high school in 2001. He had 83 in his graduating class. At the time, 10th-12th graders attended the school.
He's gone by to look at the demolition but said he realizes change is coming.
"I know it needed updating," Cook said. "It's hard to spend the money when it's falling apart."
Future plans are to build a ninth grade wing on that location, and Cook said it will be exciting to give students a new facility with new technology.
Larry and Karen Crawley, former owners of Prairie Grove Auto, both graduated from the old high school, Karen in 1977 and Larry in 1973.
Larry Crawley said the building first opened as a school for 7th-12th and he started attending it as a seventh grader.
"I had great memories there," said Larry.
Karen said three generations from their family attended school in the building, the Crawleys, their daughter and their grandson, who just finished eighth grade and will be at the high school in the fall.
According to a Centennial History of Prairie Grove from 1888 to 1988, the land for the old high school building and future buildings in the area, about 20 acres, was purchased for $5,500. An additional adjacent 15 acres was donated to the school district.
The district first built a gymnasium on this site, then a home economics cottage and an agri building, all completed in 1951. Next came the lighted athletic field (still used today) and then the high school building, which was occupied at mid-term in 1954.