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Kings Mills School, which graduated its first class in 1895, to be razed as part of building project.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
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Earl and Carole Testerman outside the old Kings Mills School in Kings Mills, Ohio Tuesday March 31, 2009. 
The old historic Kings Mills School building constructed in the 1890's will be demolished this month.
The end is near for Kings Mills School, which graduated its first class in 1895 and its last class in 1967.
The demolition of the historic school on King Avenue is part of the Kings School District's $27.2 million building project and could take place as early as next week, according to school officials.
For Earl and Carole Testerman, the local landmark was a starting point.
The Maineville 74-year-olds met there as teenagers, struck a friendship and eventually started dating. He was a forward on the school's basketball team, and she was a cheerleader.
The high school sweethearts graduated in May 1952, part of a class of 24 students, and got married that October.
Although tearing down the school will serve a purpose by providing extra parking space for the district, it won't erase Carole Testerman's sentiments for the structure.
"I can understand progress, but ... you kind of hate to see it go," she said.
Cheering in the building's small gymnasium proved to be a "unique" experience.
"The seating was quite different," Testerman said. "You just were right there practically on the out-of-bounds line."
Geraldine Cole, 61, of Morrow was one of about 97 graduates in the Class of 1967.
She remembers the building as being part of "a lot calmer time" when school rules focused on good grooming and modest fashions.
"The boys had to wear short hair. We (girls) had to wear dresses to school. We couldn't wear pants," she said. "I think my last year of high school they let us wear our dresses two inches above our knees and we thought that was really something."
Cole said students managed to make it without "all the extra stuff," including air conditioning, and a sports program that consisted of just basketball and football.
Parting ways with the old school won't be easy, she said.
"I kind of hate to see it go because I had a lot of good memories there," Cole said.
The building has been used for storage for years. The district will pay $268,890 to tear down the structurally unsound building, then create a parking lot in its place.
