Newtown saves old school
Goal is to refurbish building as needed community center

Don Fernandez -Staff
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, November 21, 2002                             Next Article

More than 20 years after the last school bell rang, new life is heading to Newtown School.

Asbestos and debris are being removed from the 70-year-old structure as north Fulton's unincorporated Newtown community rallies to revive school.

The goal is a community center for Newtown Park, one of the most heavily used parks in the state.

"It just sat here, and it's dilapidated, vandalized and neglected," said Lynn Pennington, president of the Newtown Park Community Foundation Inc. "It's got a lot of problems. But it's structurally sound."

Pennington and other community residents want to transform the 6,000-square-foot structure into a center for community activities.

"Whatever the community deems appropriate," Pennington said.
The old school house is a pleasant relic, a brick structure detailed by wood walls, floors and transoms.

A senior Newtown resident who attended the school as a child told Pennington how she used to get splinters stuck in her feet from the floor.

Part of the desire to rehabilitate the structure is to create more amenities at Newtown Park.
The 50-acre recreational area, which includes the school, has been a wildly popular addition to the community

So far, Fulton County has paid for demolition of a portion of the building added in the 1950s.

Hugh Talcott, a planner with Fulton County Parks and Recreation, said teens were hanging out in the boarded-up building before the work.

The next step is money to repair the roof and plug several leaks.

The community group also wants to locate school history, much of which is missing.
Among things wanted are photos, documents, memories, anything that can add to the revival of the building.

"We feel this could become the jewel of the community," Pennington said. "Newtown should have something distinct about it."

Anyone with photos, memoribillia or stories about Newtown School is encouraged to contact 770-993-5250 or e-mail FriendsNwtwnPrk@aol.com.

Thursday, November 21, 2002   Atlanta Journal-Constitution