KAYSVILLE — There's a lot of pride in "dear ol' Davis High," a phrase commonly used by alumni and staff at the school. But all good things must come to an end, and Thursday morning a group of residents gathered to say goodbye to the near century-old building as crews began demolition.
It's not uncommon for students to have parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents who claim Davis as their alma mater. The 90-year-old yellow-brick school was a sprawling complex of add-ons, parking lots and satellite buildings. But at the center of its 17 added wings and remodeling jobs, the original building still stood.
When the school was first built in 1914, it started with an estimated 200 students and housed all of Davis County's high school students. Now the school is 2,300 strong.
But the decades weren't easy on the building. Aside from not being earthquake- or fire-safe, some of the floors were warped, paint was cracked and peeling, pipes and ceilings leaked and the heating and electrical systems were temperamental.
Nonetheless, Clyde Jackson, Davis High's assistant principal, said there were some teary-eyed spectators as the walls came down.
"Ninety classes went through Davis, so there are definitely some strong feelings there (about the old school)," Jackson said. "But it's just a tired building . . . time for a new facility."
The construction of the new Davis High started in the spring of 2002 and was built in phases on the land behind the old school. As the new facility sprang up, students started trickling in.
Earlier this year, crews were able to tear down the old cafeteria, auxiliary gym and a wing of classrooms as students started using the new facility.
To keep a piece of the old school, the ceramic "D" tiled in the floor below the trophy case in 1953 was cut out and placed in the new building.
Though saying goodbye to the school for many was bittersweet, Jackson said the school will be getting a much more high-tech facility with wide-open corridors, windows in each classroom, better insulation and a layout that allows for smaller learning communities and teacher collaboration.
The new school should be completely finished this fall. A parking lot and landscaping will be where the old building stood.
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com