GEORGE WATTS ELEMENTARY
Watts Elementary at or near completion, 1918
George Watts Elementary is the oldest school building in Durham still serving in its original capacity. (The oldest extant school building is the former YE Smith school on South Driver St.)
Watts Elementary was built in 1918 according to the design of architect C. Miller Euler. Originally symmetrical, with a combination of Deco and neoclassical elements, the school was placed at the northeastern edge of rapidly developing Trinity Park. 
Circa 1920 bird's eye view of Trinity College and Trinity Park, with the Watts School visible at the edge of the housing development.
Below, H. Lee Waters film footage of Watts Elementary in the late 1930s. By this point, the right entry to the school had been widened/modified.
Watts School, 1950s.
Additions have been made to the west of the original school building; the school remains a vibrant part of the neighborhood, and, as one would expect, appears to have a great deal of parental (and alumni) involvement. I'm always thrilled to see neighborhood schools thriving (at least from an outsider's perspective.) The logic behind locating schools where kids can neither walk nor bike to them seems decidedly twisted to me. 
Watts School, 10.03.09
Find this spot on a Google Map.
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16 comments:
Video evidence that back in the 1930's it was no big deal to carry a toy gun to school. At least I hope that's a toy gun the kid is packing at the end -- the cameraman stops filming kind of abruptly…
"The logic behind locating schools where kids can neither walk nor bike to them seems decidedly twisted to me."
That school may be located in a neighborhood, but since it's a magnet school in Durham, kids from that neighborhood aren't necessarily able to go there. AFAIK the majority of kids going to Watts (a Montessori magnet) are bussed or driven to school.
Gary, where do you find this stuff?! Loved watching that video.
Here are the facts on school makeup:
The first class to matriculate through the magnet school is the 4th grade class.
Among the 4th and 5th, a larger percentage of students are from *outside* the priority zone (which includes three neighborhoods, not only Trinity Park, where the school is located).
In the lower grades (preK-3rd), the majority of the children are from the surrounding neighborhoods. Next year's class of pre-K/K students are 100% from the surrounding neighborhoods (or are siblings of current students).
I don't know how many of the neighborhood kids actually walk/bike to school, but many of them could, if they (or their parents) chose to.
Jeremy
Point taken, but it is easier to change a policy than a school location. Usually, anyway.
GK
Also loved the video. Amazing that even if it were filmed in 1939, the youngest would be in his/her late 70s today.
So happy to see the school continuing to thrive. I was there as a sixth grader in l966. I read something once that Frances Gray Patton who wrote the short story "The Terrible Miss Dove" which eventually became the film "Good Morning Miss Dove" based her story on a teacher (or teachers) @ Watts St. Anyone ever heard that? A number of her stories have Durham (and NC)references. I know that she lived in Durham, and her husband taught @ Duke. I wondered if she lived somewhere in the neighborhood. Also the video is absolutely charming. I wish the adults that those precious children became could see themselves. What a wonderful gift for posterity from Mr. Waters (and you, too Gary!).
Congratulations on being named COO at your "real job" GK!
Congratulations on your new leadership position, Gary.
But I guess this means you'll have much less time for Endangered Durham...
Sigh!
Well, ED's loss is Durham's gain. Good luck!
Miss Dove was Miss Pridgen, the principal in the late 1950's-early '60s when I was a student. We use to refer to her as "the ghost who walks" as she was very intimidating to us 9 year old brats. I came to know she was a very wonderful women who cared very much for her students.
I was a student in the mid-40s and Mrs. Pridgen was a VERY visible principal. Even the rowdiest of boys knew she was in charge and would not hesitate to correct any misbehavor (same for the girls). She became a beloved memory.
I loved "Watts Street School" I was there in the mid 50's. Mrs. Moore was another teacher the put fear into her students. Miss Pridgen loved her students, wish there pricipals like her now.
I was a student at George Watts from 1957 to 1959, 2nd through fourth grades. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Hilda Bell, third grade teacher was Mrs. Brown, and fourth grade was Mrs. Hobgood, I think. "Miss Pridgen" was very stern and didn't cut you ANY slack!
I remember the paddle on the wall in her office.
I was a student at GW from 1957-59.
2nd grade teacher: Mrs. Hilda Bell
3rd grade teacher: Mrs. Brown
4th grade teacher: Mrs. Hobgood?
My playmates were Peter Scott, Martha Wynegarden, Billy Head, Randy Fox, Bobby Steele and Joan Austin. Miss Pridgen was mighty fearsome--you knew you didn't want to be called to her office!
I attended George Watts Elementary from 1965 until 1969, 3rd through 6th grade. I was on the safety patrol for the 5th and 6th grades (we actually raised the flag and crossed the younger children at, at least 7 street corners-Urban/Watts, Dacien/Watts, Trinity/Watts, Urban/Duke, Urban/Gregson, Dacien/Duke, Dacien/Gregson}. In the Spring there was an event where all the safety patrol boys of the city would compete in a military style marching competition in full dress uniform, managed by the Durham Police Dept. In late April all 6th grade patrol boys were awarded a free weekend trip to Washington, DC, chaperoned by volunteers from the DPD.
I believe Mrs. Bell was still there in 1965. My teachers were
Mrs. Hubbard - 3rd grade, '65-'66
Mrs. Bryan - 4th, '66-'67
? - 5th, '67-'68
?Mrs. Stubbs? - 6th, '68-'69
There were 2 classes of each grade when I was there, except 6th which had 3, due to the fact that GW housed the accelerated 6th grade for that area of Durham. Students from other schools were brought in for that class. Other than that, all the other students were from the neighborhood and most walked or biked to school.
I also delivered the Durham Sun newspaper for two years in the neighborhood all around GW.
There was a portrait of Ms. Pridgen in the entry way (south entrance) near the principal's office. When I was there, '65-'69, Mr Whitley was principal. Two teachers at the school lived on my block, 1000's, of W. Trinity: Mrs Harwood lived in the 3rd house west of Gregson, and a young music teacher (name forgotten) rented a room in the 5th house west of Gregson. We lived in the 6th house, 1015.
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