After 101 years of educational fortitude, the bricks of the old Humboldt Public School building were torn down last week. It had been a soaring presence in the heart of the community and had stood as a monument for parents, teachers, and students.
"When I first started teaching there in 1977, I immediately fell in love," said Joan Stock, who retired in 2008. "I love old buildings."
When Joan moved in, the building's caretaker and his family had still been living upstairs on the third floor. The caretaker, Robert Urquhart, and his family became as much a part of that institution as the stone and wood that held it together.
"Mr. Urquhart" had been the custodian there for as long as anyone could remember. His daughter, Beth, said they lived there for about 24 years, between 1953 and 1977. His wife was the librarian and is remembered for the flowers she used to plant everywhere, especially on the windowsills.
"They took care of that place like it was their home and it was," said Joan. "The kids weren't allowed to play on the grass.
I remembered he watched and called out to them if they got into the gardens and made sure they took their shoes off when coming inside," she said with a laugh.
For Dave Hill, current principal of the public school, the memories are a lot fresher.
"I remember the old gym. It had no markings for any of the sports, just white tile," he said. He paused and chuckled for a moment before continuing, "We had to get tape and put the markings for basketball or badminton or whatever we were playing at the time."
The old gym he's talking about was a small room in the basement of the building. During shows, they would move in a portable stage that took up at least a quarter of the space. The audience members would have to cram in, but they made do.
"So many people have commented over the last little while, saying it was nice to look at and it was such a recognizable building," said Dave. "It was emotional to see those bricks tumbling down from the third story to the ground. It was a wonderful place. I was hired there, made decisions there."
Those feelings of sadness and disappointment are unavoidable among those involved with the school, but there are also many recollections of joy and humour.
"There were a lot of stories going around about there being ghosts upstairs," said Carol Oleksyn, a former teacher and principal at HPS. "One time I found students going upstairs after school hours. (When I asked them what they were doing), they said they were going to find the ghost. They weren't even students there. They were from St. Dominic!" she laughed.
After catching these bold young individuals, it was only natural that Carol went up with them to aid them in their quest. Unfortunately, no ghosts were witnessed that day. However, that didn't stop the rumours.
Some believe it was Mr. Urquhart, who returned to his home even after he passed away. He and his family had to move out in 1974, although he continued with his work there for another four years.
After they moved out, the side of the floor where they lived was used for storage. The other side was used for music and art lessons. As time passed, the building slowly began to fall into disrepair and the attic was no longer usable.
"Over the years, it started to have a musty, old smell," said Joan. "I remember there was this old radiator by the doors that kind of hissed and steamed in the winter. I also remember the bells."
"I remember the laughter and chatter of kids and the clanging of the pipes," said Carol. "I also remember the pigeons and the echoey sounds through the ducts."
Those small moments have become cherished memories in the aftermath of the school's demolition.
"One of my favourite sights was the east side of the school," said Dave. "There were windows at the top of the stairwell. I would go up there and pause; it was a nice view out that window, nice and sunny. You could see the golf course. I really remember that."
Many generations of students have passed through the halls that are no longer standing there today. Never more will the familiar sight of a century-old building greet people as they walk down 8th Street and no one will ever again hear its nostalgic creaks and groans.
Nevertheless, these are the memories many won't soon forget.
"When we came in from the cold, that radiator is a warm and pleasant memory," said Carol. "It felt like home."
