I always end up going to CVS on Kosciuszko Street before marching band. It is easily accessible from our school. I was there a few days ago to buy a drink and snack when I heard it. It sounded like the laughter and chatter of students. I could hear footsteps hitting a tiled and squeaky sneakers in a gym. I looked around, confused. Everyone around me was an adult and no one was talking. The floor was covered with a layer of carpet and nothing around appeared to cause those sounds I heard. “The sound of the past is a sound that never truly leaves,” a worker casually said as he restocked a shelf. “I don’t believe I understand,” I informed him. “You don’t know?” He glanced over at me and turned back with a chuckle. “These hallowed grounds used to be where a school once stood.”

The former Nanticoke Middle School was constructed in 1914 and was officially changed to the Greater Nanticoke Area Middle School in 1970. It remained Junior High for 25 years. On November 8th, 1995, classes were held for the final time. Heartbreakingly, it was demolished  between June 15th and 20th, 1999.

Our generation has never seen the middle school. It seems however, that anyone who has set foot in this building was touched by her legacy. The school is a part of them as much as they were a part of her. If you don’t believe me, ask someone who went to school there, who has taught there, or who has been a part of her in some way. Each has a memorable story or a fond memory. One thing is for certain, the former Nanticoke Middle School will always hold a special presence in the hearts of many.

Curious, I went to talk with a few people who have knowledge of this historical place. I had three questions in mind.

How did the tearing down of the middle school affect you?

Mrs.Wisniewski- “I really loved the school. It hit me hard when it was torn down. I was saddened.”

Mrs.Jeffries- “I was sad to see it go. My father went to high school there.”

Mr.Stetz- “It felt like a piece of Nanticoke was lost. It is a part of this city’s history. Without it, we can only remember what Nanticoke use to be like.”

What about the school has stuck with you over the years?

Mr.Zubritski- “The school had a great staff.  I started teaching there. It was the first place I substituted.”

Mrs.Wisniewski- “The cafeteria was wide and open. The gym had this magnificent balcony that went around above the court.”

Mrs. Jeffries- “I first discovered what Trojan Pride was. I still have it to this day.”

Mr.Stetz- “You could feel the sense of community the school brought to the town. Even with it gone, the feeling still lingers.”

What was your favorite part of the school and why?

Mr.Zubritski- “The architecture. It had a very traditional feel to it.”

Mrs.Wisniewski- “My favorite part had to be the architecture. It was beautiful to look at.”

Mrs.Jeffries- “The steps gave the school character. They were marable, worn, and had a slight dip.”

Mr.Stetz- “The gym, or as we use to call it, ‘the pit,’ was my favorite place. It was an extremely intimidating place. Our athletic teams had a home court advantage and our opponents could feel it.”

And so the magnificent structure that once symbolized so many things to so many people is nothing but a memory. Every so often, when I walk by the CVS, I stare at the steps leading up a hill to a building that no longer remains but in the hearts and minds of those who went to school there. Too young to remember, I can only listen to the stories about a building that was so special to so many people.

Each memory is held in the mind and heart. Every thought, sound and image is engraved into the memory of those who remember her. The middle school might not be standing anymore, yet it still exists. As long as people still reminisce about the days they walked down the halls or sat in the classrooms, though demolished, her memory will live on.