Phyllis Spooner Dunn, a cheerleader from the Dover High School class of 1943, proudly wears her class jacket and holds her cheerleading megaphone.

Community says goodbye to red brick school building
By Kevin Kelley
Westlake
Published Oct. 27, 2010

Phyllis Spooner Dunn hasn’t lost her school spirit.

The 1943 graduate of Dover High School (the predecessor to Westlake High School) brought not only her class jacket but also her cheerleading megaphone to an Oct. 19 ceremony to say goodbye to the red brick school building on Dover Center Road.

The 101-year-old building will be torn down next month as part of the Westlake City Schools’ redevelopment of its Dover Center Road property. Lee Burneson Middle School will be renovated as an intermediate school. A new middle school will also be built on the site.

Dunn, who attended the red brick building for grades one through six, said she doesn’t like the fact that it’s coming down.

“It’s sad that it’s going,” she said.

A Rocky River resident, Dunn said she still remembers all the teachers she had and climbing the steps every day.

“There’s a lot of memories in there,” she said.

The farewell ceremony was organized at the last minute by members of the Westlake Historical Society. The building was long ago shuttered; the next day, a construction fence went up around the building in preparation for demolition.

An old desk belonging to the Westlake Historical Society signifies the years of classroom education that took place in the old red brick school house.

The ceremony began, just like thousands of school days at the red brick school did, with the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Dave Pfister of the Westlake Historical Society asked those gathered to remember all those who attended school in the building.

“Remember all the books that were read,” he said. “All the notes that were taken. All the tests that had to be passed up to the front as time had expired. Think of all the friendships that had developed at this school, and all the first loves. All the erasers that were clapped.”

Sarah Williams Hughes rings an old school bell in memory of the soon-to-be demolished building. (West Life photos by Kevin Kelley)

The red brick building housed students up through 1968 when the school district made the building its headquarters. The building has been unoccupied since 2003. A plan to renovate the building into a fine arts center fell through due to lack of funds.

Participants in the farewell ceremony were invited to share their recollections of attending class there.

Sarah Williams Hughes, Westlake High class of 1960, fondly recalled her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Freer, whom she credits with making the first day of school a little less scary for a 5-year-old.

“She was a wonderful lady,” she said of Freer.

The ceremony concluded with participants singing the Westlake High School Alma Mater and the playing of taps for the building.

BRICK DISTRIBUTION: The school district will offer original bricks from the building to community members interested in a keepsake of the historic building. Once the building comes down, 500 bricks reserved for the community will be cleaned and available for distribution, most likely toward the end of 2010.

Anyone desiring a brick should call district Communications Coordinator Kim Bonvissuto at (440) 250-1258 or e-mail her at bonvissuto@wlake.org. Callers are asked to leave their names and telephone numbers or e-mail addresses at which they can be reached. The deadline to request a brick is Nov. 30. At present, the policy is one brick per person.

On the Web:

• Westlake School District
• Westlake Historical Society