Chalk on the Blackboard: Happy New Year
Greetings from the Historic 1916 Buffalo High School located at 303 Pearl Street in Buffalo, North Dakota. The school became the property of the Buffalo Historical Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 2001 after being abandoned for several decades.
A new year means it is time to make plans for the school in 2021, and we were able to safely meet last week with a small committee to discuss feasible projects. Many ideas were considered that would continue our renovation efforts and help promote the school’s past, present and future. I want to report on several projects that will begin in the next few months.
Thanks to memorial donations, we will be upgrading the circular garden located on the east lawn. We plan to add a stainless steel
gazing ball on a stand in the center of the garden and a metal marker with an engraved plaque in memory of Harold and Marian Kasowski and all who are gone but not forgotten. The area for the new “Reflection Garden” was originally the site of a merry-goround on the elementary playground. A concrete sidewalk still surrounds the garden where we will set our memorial benches to make it a perfect place for reflection and remembering.
We are looking forward to working with a local curator who will help us sort, organize and review historical documents, photos, newspapers, memorabilia, and other papers that have been generously donated to the school. This project will be ongoing and very helpful in preserving and displaying important items.
The process of locating old photos has taken on new significance since we want to include them in an upcoming fundraising project. We would welcome any photos through the years of the school, including teachers, staff, students, sports, activities, and any other events. If you want to donate or share any photos with us, please contact me at 701-412-4485.
This year we will recognize the twentieth anniversary of the nomination and certification of the 1916 Buffalo High School to the National Register of Historic Places by the
National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior. The complete application with narrative, photos and school history is available in the Reference Library at the school. It states in Section 7 “The building is a statement of Classical Revival architecture, with its rectangular shape, symmetrical facades, windows aligned horizontally and vertically in symmetrical rows and projecting front gable with pediment. As in their Georgian and Adam prototypes, the principal areas of elaboration in Classical Revival buildings are the entrances, cornices and windows.” We are very proud of our historic school and how far we have come in twenty years.
As always, please visit our website at www. buffalond.com or like us on Facebook @ Buffalo, ND for more information.