Work-at-Central

Proud to be a Sponsor of the Economic Development Breakfast July 15, 2021

Late afternoon sun casts shadows in the Gymnasium wings stairwell at Central......

As we prepare for the main landscape plantings along the main Queen Street facade; a few more warm up plantings around the site on Arbor Day 2021. Junipers, Dogwoods, Cherry, Boxwoods, and Japanese Silk Lilac trees (which bloom in mid summer/reduce the heat buildup) now grace the secure parking area.

Wonder what future historians in another 108 years will say about our planting of this replacement American Beech tree (the third replanting - 1867 - 1913 - 2021) in 2129?

The beloved American Beech Tree is cut down. When the town made the decision to expand the high school, just before the Great Depression in 1929, people realize...d that the trees on the lawn along Queen Street would subsequently need to be cut down. The former lawn was where the new auditorium and gymnasium was to be built. The photo in this post shows the construction in progress, with the 1909 school in the background. W.C. McNew took the old American Beech Tree down and the newspaper article attached to this post, appeared in the Public Opinion newspaper on May 1st, 1930. To summarize the article, Mr. McNew received numerous requests from former students of the Chambersburg Boys Academy requesting that specific pieces of the trees bark, where initials had been carved, could be saved and sent to them. He filled 11 of those requests (by the time the article was published), from former students across the country, one request from as far away as Los Angeles, California. Other requests were made for furniture to be made from the wood. Many believe that there are pieces made from the wood of this very Beech Tree still in existence and still a part of the town’s history! Stay tuned to find out more about this story.....

After 91 years - the front light posts on Queen Street have gone missing...... wonder when and how they will return? And when they do, what will they look like?

The American Beech Tree, now around 40 years old, inspired the class of 1913 to plant another tree.... The Chambersburg Senior High - Class of 1913, so loved th...e trees in front of the school, and the American Beech Tree in particular, that they decided to celebrate both their Senior year and Arbor Day by planting a new tree on the lawn. They hoped to inspire each successive class to plant a tree. What a wonderful tradition.... however in less than two decades, the lawn of Chambersburg High School would change forever. And the trees would be no more. Find out what happens to the tree planted by the Class of 1913 and the American Beech Tree across the walkway up the lawn, in the next post!

The American Beech Tree... a story continues. The photograph in this post shows the front of the high school in 1910 with the old American Beech Tree at the le...ft side of the image. The tree, planted by John Henry Shumaker outside the old Chambersburg Boys Academy was planted after the burning of Chambersburg in 1864 and the rebuilding of the academy in 1867. The stone walls of that academy are still inside the building today. This tree watched over the town as it grew, and a new high school was constructed. This building was completed in 1909 and you can see part of the front facade in this photograph, as it appeared facing Queen Street, nearly 112 years ago. At that time the tree would have been close to 40 years old! Students loved the tree, their school and the town and showed just how much a few years later.... Watch for our next post about the students from the class of 1913. Happy Earth Day!

Consider joining us for one of our present units, or keep us in mind for new offerings in mid-2021 at Central High School!

Sharing a few images of the "finds" we have when we started the project. Many of these have been saved and displayed in the commons at Rose Rent. Even more artifacts will be displayed in the original display cases located in the main lobby of the Live & Work at Central building. These display cases were hand built and donated by students in 1939-40.

A couple of folks asked about these for context!

Sunrise illuminates the brickwork in the east stair at Central on November 29th. Also a golden sheen on the buildings 90 year old signatory stone engraving - "Learn to Live & Live to Learn". We just don't do anything like that anymore in our transient throwaway world.

Mac awaits his turn now that Rose is complete!