90 YEARS YOUNG

Rupert Elementary School to celebrate 90th anniversary

We should all be so lucky — to look so good at 90 years old.

But with a shiny new wing, repointed brick and a new roof, Rupert Elementary School — Pottstown’s oldest school building — is in pretty good shape.

That’s a good thing because Rupert is being thrown a birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will include food trucks with pizza, ice cream, BBQ and snow cones.

Games including a dunk tank, a bounce house, an inflatable obstacle course, bowling, tennis, mini golf, corn hole, Large Jenga, Large Checkers, Large Connect 4 and even free bike helmets will be featured.

Of course, things were probably a bit more subdued on Aug. 29, 1928.

That’s when the original dedication was made and according to the original program, there was some music, the “passing of the key” and some speeches, followed by the “Star Spangled Banner” and a benediction.

The groundbreaking had occurred a little more than a year before with “Professor Rupert” digging the first shovel full of dirt.

“Professor Rupert” is, of course, William Whitehead Rupert, who had come to Pottstown from Chester County nearly 50 years before. He was Pottstown’s very first superintendent of schools and the educator for whom the school is named.

SUBMITTED PHOTO The original program for the dedication of Rupert School in 1928.

SUBMITTED PHOTO W.W. Rupert at the time of the 1928 dedication of the building that bears his name.