Memory Lane

Now living in Texas, I was back home visiting my parents in Plainville this past week. My mother and I took a trip to visit a couple of old churches in New Britain and see the architecture, but couldn't get into either.

My mother asked me to go up Osgood Avenue to see her old elementary school, Israel Putnam. As we pulled up you can tell it was abandoned, with high weeks growing around, graffiti on the walls, and in serious disrepair.

I remember as a kid in the 70's the school was still open, but found on some internet sites the school closed in the early 1980's and recently has been vandalized with some level of arson.

As we walked around the building she pointed out which section of the school where she had 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, etc. She pointed out the auditorium area and the playground area. Sadness echoed in her voice as how the school was in such bad shape.

I had recently visited the United Kingdom and walked through buildings built in the 17th and 18th centuries, and some older than that. It amazes me here in the United States we can't keep well built buildings like this functional. I saw a similar thing happen to where I went to junion high, the Plainville Junior High School, once the High School.

Anyone have any memories, pictures, links to a site where info can be found on Israel Putnam, please let me know. I'll post and share with my mother. THANKS.