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Greenwood gives away bricks from old middle school building

GREENWOOD (WISH) — Saturday was bittersweet in Greenwood as people had the chance to take home a piece of history and reminisce about their childhood one last time.

The building most recently known as Greenwood Middle School, in the past a high school and even a temporary police building, is no more.

“I attended basketball games of my brothers in here in the ’60s and the ’70s. I cheered in that gymnasium, I attended school there, my children attended school there, my husband. So to see it torn down, it kind of makes me sad,” said graduate Becky Habig.

The city gave away bricks from the building to car after car as they drove through for one last look.

“I wanted a momento from my childhood. We were actually just talking one night, it would be nice to have a brick. So, I actually, I contacted Mark to say, ‘Hey I have this idea. Can we do something like this?’” said graduate Patty Mathews.

The city is keeping the north gym intact to create a community field house and is planning on adding offices, buildings, condos and retail spaces on the propety.

“It was time for a change. Even though sometimes change makes you sad. It was needed,” said Habig.
While the future seems exciting, alumni couldn’t help but reminisce on the past as they picked up their bricks, some more pleasant than others.

“Rex Harris was the teacher in there, and I used to make the paddles for him so people would get popped real good,” said Pat Craighead.

Even though that intersection will look different, many say the bricks will help the stories live on.

“But I wanted to get a piece of it, I thought, put it out in my flower bed, just you know, be able to look at it and just basically say you know, that is a part of history, that is where I went and I am proud of it,” Craighead said.

“I am excited about the future of Greenwood,” said Habig. 

Before demolition began on the old middle school, the city did allow people to go back and tour the building.

They also allowed tours of the new middle school, which opened in the fall of 2017.