Saying goodbye to Montgomery’s Sidney Lanier High School
Sidney Lanier High School gets ready to close its doors forever in two weeks. The school has a rich history and is lovingly called “The Castle” by students. It opened it’s doors in 1929 to combine rivals Sidney Lanier High School and and Montgomery County High School. A football game was held to decide which school got to keep it’s name, and Lanier won. It cost $750,000 to build and was referred to as the “Million Dollar School.”
“I get to say I went to a castle, and I graduated from a castle – ha! Like you can’t make that up,” said senior Quantavious Globe.
“The art teacher wanted to make this floor into a gallery to showcase the students with wonderful talent who we’ve had walk through these halls.” Principal Cynthia Tucker proudly shows off some newer artistic additions on the third floor. She says the 377 students have mixed emotions about moving to longtime rival G. W. Carver High School next year. “It may be a little bit difficult for them, because they are leaving behind what they have called their home for so many years, we have two groups of students who would not be able to graduate as Lanier Poets, but they would be Carver Wolverines. And so they’re just going to need just a little bit help to make that transition.”
Hank Williams, football players Bart Starr and Reggie Barlow, and Toni Tennille from the band “Captain and Tennille” are just a few of the school’s famous alumni.
Junior Janiah Davis says, “It is bittersweet sweet because I’ve been here since ninth grade and my cousins graduated from here and I wanted to graduate from here.” Sophomore Brandon Daniels says, ” I going to miss this school so much because this is where all my family came to school at. My whole family line, some of them went to Carver, but most of them went to Lanier.” There is meaning in so much of the late gothic revival building’s architecture, like these owls that represent knowledge and wisdom.
“As you can see that the books look a little disheveled. And that’s because we’re packing up, you know, this is a reality now. At the beginning of the year, it may not have been a reality, but when you see this, okay, this is a reality. This is it. It’s nothing to be afraid of. We’re going into something that’s new and perhaps will add something to our lives, ” Principal Tucker says. Sophomore Brandon Daniels is wistful when he tells us, “I know the outside of the building is old, but it is a fun is a fun place to be inside of.” The property is owned by the Montgomery County Board of Education. Plans are still being discussed about what to do with it.
