Plans for Spring St. Elementary School Monument Moving Forward

The City of Lavonia is in the final stages of putting together plans for a memorial bench at the location of the old Spring St. Elementary school.

Back in January, two residents of the Springview Heights Community, Barbara Clark and Jamie Richards told the Council they wanted to erect a marker on the lot where the school once stood.  Richards said they had decided on a granite bench.

At that meeting, Lavonia City Councilmen agreed to help pay for the monument.  At their regular meeting last week, the city council and mayor Ralph Owens heard from City Manager Gary Fesperman who gave them an update on the monument progress.

Fesperman said they have settled on a design for the bench and picked out the granite. 

“We have selected the granite comapny in Elberton that is constructing the bench and doing all the inscription work on it,” Fesperman said. “Barbara Clark and her group have secured the funding. They have all of the match money and we have given the granite company a $1,400 deposit.  The City is going to put $1,500 towards the monument with the  match. Total cost of the granite bench is $2,800.”

The Spring St. Colored School as it was originally called, opened in 1955 in the Springview Heights community.

Its name was later changed to Spring St. Elementary School.

The school building was eventually torn down in the 1970′s, but the gymnasium still stands and is used as a local community center.

Fesperman said while the bench is being made, the City will be preparing the site.

“In the five to six weeks it’s going to take build the bench and have it delivered, the City is going to build a mounting pad for the bench to sit on and short sidewalk,” he said. “It’s a great project and I think everyone is going to be pleased with the final result.”

Fesperman said they hope to have the project completed sometime in July.