It’s summer, which means the Pierce Park rock is changing shape every few hours. I only take pictures during daylight hours for the site, and in the past 24 hours that means I’ve missed two rocks: one in an orange/red color (seen after dark) and one for a birthday – Danielle? – seen before dawn. Yes, that means you’ve been painting that rock every 6 hours!
If you happen to have photos of those, or any rocks missing from the Gallery, feel free to send them along. You can see the full gallery by clicking on the “More Pierce Park rocks” link at right.
Today’s rock is posted in the usual spot at right, though I understand it’s changing again today at 4 p.m. (!), and yesterday’s is at left for your viewing pleasure. Well, one of the three from yesterday… oy.
Enjoy!
I lived in Chelsea in 1964. Attended the old Chelsea Junior High School. There was a huge rock on the school grounds that we used to paint. Is this the same one?
Just wondering. Many Thanks.
Jeff
Yes, this is the rock that sat the corner of East and Harrison Streets by the school complex. The class of 1957 was the first class to paint a “57″ on it. The class in which I graduated turned the “57″ into “58.” I understand that some classmates spent time with Superintendent Cameron discussing the matter.
Jan Bernath
Class of 1958
Yes – I was one of Superintendent Cameron’s “guests”. And in order that I might remember the occasion, he included a cartoon of some pranksters in the diploma he handed me.
Jeff,
This is the same rock. The Class of 1958 was the last class to graduate from the school as a high school. Then, it became the junior high, then it was demolished. A famous architect in the area, Claire Allen, drew up the plans and oversaw the construction. The school district wanted the property to become a park, but a citizen who lived in the neighborhood objected. So, now we have the “Schoolhouse Apartments” where the complex once stood.
Jan
Jan obviously knows her history. I just remember the pranks.
Jerome
Class of ‘58
Who was the janitor at that time whom so many of you guys remember well? And what was his connection to the rock? And how many of you were called to Mr. Conklin’s office? Where was the office located? Off the balcony of the old high school gym?
REPAINTED ROCK
By Doug Collyer
Some people have “class and style” and some just don’t. That was our thought one evening after Jerome Forner, Bob Brown and I had after finishing writing the Class Prophesy for the 1958 High School Year Book.
Such things weighed heavily on the minds of such individuals as we that had a propensity to contemplate matters of little worldly importance. Thus, the fact that the Class of 1956 had painted “56” on one side of the large rock in the schoolyard and further that the Class of 1957 had painted “57” on the other side, didn’t really impress us. What bothered us was their sloppy work. Thus, they had “no class, no style”.
We, representatives of the Class of 1958, could remedy the intolerable situation by demonstrating, to the world, how things should be properly done. We would paint the rock properly by covering it completely in our school colors of blue and gold with a large “58” stroked from the hands of an artist.
Somehow Jerome “conned” his Mother, an artist in her own right, into mixing us some paint in their basement. Then with paint and paint brushes in hand, we were off to complete our mission. We had called some classmates for assistance and we all met at said rock about mid-night. Working like a well-oiled machine we completed our work-of-art. So we trampled Russ Alsteader’s (the school maintenance man) posies at the base of the rock. Of little consequence, when creative endeavors are undertaken.
With the mission completed and no cops or school authorities catching us, we faded into the night and went home. Just as I walked into the house, about 2:00am my parents were waiting for me. They said Charlie Cameron, our school Superintendent, was waiting for me at his office and I had to go there immediately. My parents ask for and I gave a reasonable explanation for my recent activities. They seemed relieved upon learning that I was not wanted for murder or some such transgression.
Back to school I went and walked into Charlie Cameron’s office. There, sat all of my cohorts of the evening’s endeavors. Once assembled Charlie started to grill us about our evening’s work. We explained our motives and assured him that all we wanted to do was to bring “dignity and class” to our school by properly painting the school rock. Charlie seemed to be taking it in stride and didn’t appear to be too upset with our activities. His real concern was about an incident a few nights before where some vandals had pushed over some “green” brick walls of the new school. We assured him that we had nothing to do with that and would tell him if we knew who was responsible. We were all pretty good kids and had never gotten into anything serious before. Thus, he believed us and was about to “let us off the hook” when, old Russ Alsteader started whining about his posies that we had stomped all over. Well, we agreed to buy some new flowers for Russ, and I think we even planted them around the rock.
That little act of ours started a new school tradition. We were the last class to graduate from the old school and when it was torn down, the rock was moved to the city park. There the future classes could, without fear of reprisal, paint their year on the rock.
However, the future classes never had the “class and style” in rock painting that we did.
If I remember right – Mr. Griffin was the principal at our dear old school and his office was just around the corner from the science room where we spend our freshman year learning Biology from Mr. Conklin. I recall one day when Gary Dault was acting up pretty good but was all in fun and Mr. Griffin came in and told Mr. Conklin to paddle Gary with that paddle that had the holes in it. Mr. Conklin hit everything about and told Gary to yell like crazy Like he was really being spanked!!