The Old Library and Mooney Jr. High

The old South Brooklyn Branch Library on Henritze. How fun was this place! Going to this library to watch movies upstairs on a Saturday morning was a blast! Does anyone else remember the red-headed librarian? She would visit us at Memphis quite often.

Another great school! Many if not most of Memphis' students went to Chas. A. Mooney Jr. High. I do remember paying a nickle during lunch to watch a 15-minute segment of a movie. One movie I remember was when Ray Milland and Rosie Greer became a man with two heads!? Mooney's movie theater was really cool!

Classic Image of Memphis

Kail Tescar '72, discovered this awesome shot of Memphis of what appears to be from the 1920's or 30's.

This is by far the oldest image we have. Judging by the size of the trees in the front and the peculiar-looking building to the right of the school, this shot must've been taken soon after the third floor was added.  This image clearly shows the addition of the third floor as evidenced by the original roof line that you see between the second and third floors. If you look closely, you can even see Memphis Avenue in cobblestone!

Can someone help date this image? Click on this image to see our old school in its full size granduer!

School Mementos

My friend, Kail Tescar '72, e-mailed me these great mementos. Remember these?

If you gave a dollar or two in class, you would get one of these. Kail and I were friends through our schooling at Memphis. On one occasion, I remember the two of us walking to my house from the school for lunch. My mom had a couple of hot dogs waiting. Those were the days when you could walk home from school for lunch!

Do you have any school mementos? If you do...please e-mail the pictures to me! 

Send to: gzaryk118@gmail.com

Welcome to Memphis School!

Hello Visitor!

Welcome and thanks for visiting the Memphis School Blog. Please feel free to join our community as many have on the right of this posting. If you should have any photos or interesting stories about your time at Memphis, please e-mail them to me at:

gzaryk118@gmail.com

Be sure to read the most excellent stories contained inside this blog by Memphis alums like Attila Barandi '68, Bruce Stoessner '60's, Gilbert Newlands '55 and my best friend from Memphis School, Kail Tescar '72.

As you go through this site, remember to click on the 'older posts' tab at the bottom of each page. Also, you can enlarge most pictures by clicking on them. In fact, click on the photo above to take a closer look at my steel lunchboxes I used during 4th, 5th and 6th grades at Memphis School.

Enjoy your visit back to our old school and please send your story and photos of Memphis soon!

Sincerely, Greg Zaryk
Class of '72

Going to the Zoo from Memphis School

The other day after my son and I visited the Zoo, we stuck the camera out the window and took a picture of the old steel-staircase. I was told these steps were installed sometime around 1950.

Back in the Spring of 1968, when I was in Memphis 2nd grade. Our teacher, Miss Shirley Roach, took our whole class to the Zoo for a field trip. We all walked to the Zoo from Memphis School by walking down W. 42, then walking down these steel steps that's on the hillside off Pensacola Avenue's wooded area.

Click on this or any image to see closer.

Interior Shots of Memphis before the Demo

The school facing west.
A couple of shots of a classroom, minus the blackboards and steam radiators. The steam radiators were always found below the windows. Anything that had any value was pulled from the school before the demolition by 'pickers' of every kind. You name it...hardwood floors, blackboards, windows, plumbing, copper wiring. At the end, the school was essentially, an empty shell.

Remember the cloakrooms?
The old stage in the auditorium. I remember a few puppet shows and small concerts being held there. During the sixties, we ate our lunches in the auditorium.
The auditorium facing Henritze.
This appears to be the second-floor corridor.
One of the entrances into the gym and a couple of shots of the gym itself. According to the clock, power to the school was pulled at 7:30. This clock and its protective cage now hangs in our home on our game room wall. It keeps excellent time!

Were you ever in Room 302?

A couple shots of room 302. I remember having class in 303 with Ms. Howe and in room 304 with Miss Emch, but never in room 302. Click on any image to enlarge.
I wasn't kidding when I said the classrooms were as huge as warehouse docks!