Preserving Dunbar: Memory Lane
The former school building at 301 Smith Ave. educated students in Lexington for 56 years.
{Contributed photo/Charles Owens}
Currently, there is a generation of students in Lexington who’ve only known the building at 301 Smith Ave. to be vacant. For as long as Generation Alpha and some members of Generation Z have been alive, a school bearing the name Charles England has only been housed on Cornelia St.
In the nearly 13 years since the relocation, the quest to continue preserving the history of the school has been an ongoing effort. This includes gathering information from those who attended school or worked at the building on Smith Ave. Many are happy to share their thoughts as it pertains to their time spent inside the school.
Let the trip down memory lane begin.
The Reopening
In 1968, Dunbar High School (DHS) closed its doors. After the decision by the Supreme Court in 1954 made segregation illegal, it took 14 years before all students attended school together. Before integration was implemented in Lexington, Dunbar served as the high school for Black students in the city. The Class of 1967 was the last to graduate before all students began attending Lexington Senior High.
Although the closure signified the end of an era, the building wouldn’t be without the hustle and bustle of school activity for long. The institution welcomed children back in 1969 under the name Dunbar School. It educated all the sixth and seventh graders in the school system.
Rona Lockhart was a member of the first two classes to attend.
“As a little girl, I had always looked forward to going to DHS when I was old enough to do so. I was heartbroken when it closed. So naturally, I was excited to learn that the school was being reopened for sixth and seventh grade. I was happy knowing I would get to walk those hallowed halls as a student.”
With the opening of Southwest Elementary School (SWE) in 1976, Lexington City Schools (LCS) eventually reconfigured. SWE, Pickett Elementary School and South Lexington Elementary School became K-3 schools and Dunbar’s name was changed to Dunbar Intermediate School (DIS) as it would service the city’s fourth and fifth graders.
The Intermediate Years
Kent Reichert was a teacher and assistant principal from 1985-1996. At 74, he retains robust recollections of his time at the school. They include students holding the 27’ python named Penelope, Dr. Becky Bloxam (former DIS principal and superintendent of LCS) and himself being covered with 25 or 30 corn snakes during “Snakes Alive,” the Human Chain down Smith Ave. to celebrate students who made the Honor Roll, taking the entire fifth grade to Charlotte to see the Ramesses the Great exhibit and the student-led TV news broadcast every morning.
Another memorable moment was when a special guest visited the school with his “Secret Service” detail.
“The staff planned creative activities, like the time we hosted Abraham Lincoln,” recalled Antionette Kerr. “Our little government council dressed up and escorted ‘Lincoln’ through the hallways. It made me want to learn more about history and civics.”
She shared additional highlights of joyous times at DIS, too.
“Under the leadership of Geraldine Buford [former DIS principal], we had an incredible faculty and staff. When I walked through the doors, school felt like community to me. I recited poetry for the first time on our auditorium stage. Our field days were over-the-top fun. I enjoyed the fact we lived across the street and my mom working in the cafeteria. She was washing dishes along with a few other moms in the community. When I returned home from college, I used the tennis courts to show my little cousins how to play.”
The hallway outside of the auditorium at the school.
{Contributed photo/Dunbar Preservation Society}.
Jennifer Cross attended DIS from 1989 until 1991. During a time when children begin experiencing a shift from children to pre-teens, she remembers how well staff handled the transition.
“I had Mrs. Riki Barrett in fourth grade. She was the sweetest, kindest person who met me where I was. I was in occupational therapy and she was always willing to take the extra time for me to grasp the concept. Unknown to me, at the time, she had cancer and subsequent surgery and treatment. She was out for a while and decided for me to visit her at home because it was such a tough transition for me. And who can forget Ms. Gloria Graves? She came there fifth grade, I believe. Her enthusiasm got quite a few eye rolls. However, she didn't give up on her students even when they gave up on themselves.”
A major part of the uniqueness of the school was that students didn’t have to wait until they enrolled at Lexington Middle School to essentially “come together.” Every child went to Dunbar in the fourth grade and it was the first time many met their classmates who would become lifelong friends.
As part of the curriculum in the early 1990s, music and art classes were mandatory. In the fifth grade, many students oozed with excitement because they were introduced to the instrument they all wanted to get their hands on in fourth grade: a recorder.
Shanna Artis and Kendra Holmes remembered the excitement surrounding music class with former teacher, Derrick Wiggs. They enjoyed learning how to play the instrument as well as class favorites Hot Cross Buns and Rain Fallin.’ Both transitioned from the recorder to the clarinet in middle and high school band.
The Final Years
Emy Garrett began her administrative career at DIS in 1998 as assistant principal. In 1999, DIS was renamed Charles England Intermediate School. Garrett was named principal in 2001. Lockhart joined her on the team that year as assistant principal. They would remain in these roles until the school moved in 2008.
Lockhart recalled how they formed their partnership.
“One of our first memories was agreeing we were in it together as a team, as administrators. We took that with us the entire time we were there. We talked a lot about our decisions and where we were headed – the vision of CE. We would go behind closed doors. We didn’t always agree 10[MDM2] 0 percent but when that door opened there was a unified front.”
Garrett echoed Lockhart’s sentiments.
“We have similar faiths as far as what we believe in with a kid-first attitude always. We were able to have real conversations about hard topics before we even knew they were hard topics. We chose very early on to let our differences work for us and not against us. I’m the shoot, ready, aim person. Rona is the I’m ‘gone think,’ make and research what I put in the plan person. It worked really well that way. She kept me out of trouble a lot.”
Many of the challenges they faced stemmed from the age of the building. Built in 1951, at the time they were there, it needed major renovations. However, both say the quirks and the history of the structure added to its distinctiveness.
A consistent reminder of the history of the building remains at the former school.
{Contributed photo}
Often, wastebaskets were in the hallways to catch water because the air conditioning unit was leaking. Bats liked to get inside the building and “hang out.” And they consistently caught students playing on the “infamous” ramp that led from the media center to the fifth-grade commons.
“They always got caught playing on the ramp on their way back to their classrooms,” Lockhart laughed. “I would say where are you going? They’d tell me to the bathroom. I’d remind them that the bathroom ain’t on the ramp and they needed to go back to class.”
For the two LSHS alumnae, being able to get to know all the students in the school system was one of the major highlights despite its trials.
“Fourth and fifth graders are a cool age,” noted Garrett. “They get sarcasm. You can have fun with them. I think we both felt pressure because we only had them two years. Curriculum, transition and child development wise the move between third and fourth grade is not a good thing.”
Aside from leading to ensure their students were prepared each year, the two also worked to create an atmosphere in which their staff was able to thrive. Graves, currently the physical education teacher at Charles England Elementary School, said both were successful in achieving their goal.
“Those were the best times of my entire teaching career. That’s why I’m still here.”
Although Garrett and Lockhart expressed sadness over the current state of the building and it no longer being a part of the LCS system, Garrett plans to always hold on to the memories it produced.
“She educated me for two years [in fourth and fifth grade] then gave me my 10 best years in education. And one of my bestest friends [Lockhart]! I will be forever grateful to that building for that.”
