Durkee St

Karen Christine Hibbard

This is a detail of the facade of the Durkee Street Elementary School on Crisman Street in Forty Fort, PA. This is where I went to grade school. It was called Durkee st because there was an older Durkee. Street School in the site which was demolished and this one built. It was a small school K-5 one grade each. We never came through the front door, we entered through the court off of the playground on the Durkee Street side. When I was little entering through the court was scary because the big kids would be playing ball games in there. The big thing, before school, was to get to go to the boiler room with the janitor and ring the bell, there would be a line of kids waiting their turn. The school was U shaped with classrooms surrounding a covered court. We had recess outside even when it rained. I lived a few doors down on Crisman St. The playground was great. Swings, merry-go-round, teeter-tatter, jungle jim, monkey bars and a big sliding board. Classic iron playground . There was plenty of room to play kick ball, dodge ball or red rover. Big trees surrounded it. The surface was ash. We'd play there until dinner and sometimes after dinner. It was the neighborhood place to hang out.

The play equipment is gone. The building is still there but it's some sort of school district storage facility. The schools merged and now kids go to grade school in the building that used to be Forty Fort High School. It is now called Dana St. The original Dana Street Elementary School. (now demolished) was across the street. I went to 6th grade there then. to FFHigh for 7th & 8th.

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