Page 7 - Harnett Life Summer 2019

Erwin High School

By Morgan Brown

Display of Lions Letter Jackets

It’s not just goodbye

the history of the school, Mr. Woodworth said before the
current 10th Street location, the town’s school was locat-
ed on the second floor of a downtown building owned
Erwin School gymnasium by Erwin Mills. Prior to that, the school was located just
across the street from this downtown building, held with-
in two homes on the corner of 12th and H. Streets. Prin-
when Triton became the primary high school for the area, cipal Backus said that once the building is cleared, some
one of the county’s three central schools. The shift from items are set to be displayed within the history museum.
community schools – Angier, Coats, Dunn, Erwin, Lafay- Chairman Lemons acknowledged that many people have up to date school, I think it’s going to be huge for the kids,
January 1, 1926, the town of Duke became the town ette, and Lillington – to central schools, Harnett Central, expressed interest in purchasing souvenirs, like audito- I think it’s going to be huge for the community.” Chairman
of Erwin. The Class of 1926 was the first to graduate from Western Harnett, and Triton was challenging. For students rium chairs or desks, but this possibility is still up for Lemons echoed this sentiment about the final open house. He
Erwin High School. Over the next 93 years, the campus and parents, going into a bigger school with new students discussion. said there will be another school, it will be on the same piece
would transition from high school to elementary school, from different areas was certainly a new experience when of land, and the plan is to save some bricks and materials
but no number of changes would diminish the school’s im- the norm had been for students to attend classes with the Recently, the school had its last ‘open house,’ where from the old building to bridge the two schools together. “It
portance within its community. Once emptied of all books, same group of people from kindergarten to graduation. The community members and alumni had the opportunity to won’t completely go away, but I think folks will be excited
desks, and other materials, the doors will close at the end change of mascot was essentially a change of identity. visit the school and have a final walk through the halls to getting a new school for those kids to go to that’s safe, that is
of June and within a few months the building will be torn reminisce, share memories, and spend a bit more time in 21st century, that is contemporary. I think the kids will enjoy
down, the land leveled back out, and within the next year or As recorded in the final edition of the Hourglass yearbook, their beloved school. Principal Backus said, “It’s a very it and I think the community will enjoy it.”
so, new construction will begin. Board of Education Chair- Erwin wasn’t always known by its longtime mascot, the tight knit community that has a lot of support, the two big
man Jason Lemons said the overall timeline for demolition Redskins. A letter jacket from 1934 sports the “Erwin points of pride that have been in this history are the mill “It’s not just goodbye,” he said.
and new construction is tentative based on funding and ap- Lions” design, and this jacket is displayed in the Erwin and the school.” The final walkthrough of the school was
proval from the county and state, in addition to material Historical Society museum. The exact date of the mascot important, he said, because “it gave everybody a chance
abatement, or the safe removal of hazardous building ma- switch may not be known, according to Joey Woodworth of to make their final rounds and say goodbye to a building
terials, and finalizing new building plans. the Erwin Historical Society, but he and current Erwin El- that they had so many memories attached to.” He contin-
ementary principal Thomas Backus noted that the change ued, “I think it’s a great thing that they’re getting a new
The final graduating class of Erwin High was in 1985, was likely made in the early 1940s. Further elaborating on Harnett Life ~ Summer 2018 Page 7

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