Special to the Journal
As part of the Houston County E-SPLOST approved last year,
the Houston County Board of Education plans to tear down the building located
on South Davis Drive, which was the site of Rumble Junior High and Middle
School before being converting to the ninth grade Academy building for Warner
Robins High School. Warner Robins High School’s ninth grade Academy was
abolished for this school year and the Crossroads student moved into the
facility.
The building most commonly known as Rumble was actually
built as Warner Robins High School. According to the Warner Robins Silver
Anniversary Magazine, it was in the fall of 1944 when construction was approved
for the high school, originally a 12-classroom structure.
C.B. Watson was torn down over the summer and a new school
is being built in its place. Then, in the summer of 2013, the Crossroads
students will be moved into the current Pearl Stephens Elementary building,
whose students will move into the new elementary school at the C.B. Watson
site.
At that point, with Rumble empty, the plan is to tear down
the building with the exception of the gym.
That’s the plan. But a newly organized group would like to amend the last part
and keep Rumble from being torn down.
A combination of people – some Warner Robins High School
alumni and friends, some concerned with the history of Warner Robins and some
that are concerned with what is emerging as the downtown area of Warner Robins
– had a preliminary meeting last week.
Citizens who have started the Save Rumble effort are concerned
about the lack of history in Warner Robins and are determined to do something
about it.
“There are only a handful of structures in town that were
here 50-60 years ago; that’s our legacy and our heritage, and I’m glad to be
involved in the effort to save it from demolition,” said Jim Elliott, a Warner Robins High
graduate and one of the organizers of the Save Rumble effort.
The group has garnered support from many current and former
Houston County residents including former Gov. Sonny Perdue, Sheriff Cullen
Talton, retired educator Gervais Perdue, former state House member Sonny
Watson, and award winning entertainment star Bobbie Eakes among many others.
“It’s never too late to try to add that historic old charm
to any town,” said Eakes. “We don’t have much of it to start within our
relatively ‘new’ city.”
Eakes went on to thank the Save Rumble group for “having the
foresight to preserve what we can for future generations.”
The effort to save the Rumble building is not without
precedence in Houston County. Years ago, a board of education member suggested
tearing down the Perry School building, at the time used mostly as a book
storage building for the Board of Education.
Billy L Powell, who dedicated a chapter, “Saving the Old
Perry School,” to the events in his book, “Pride of the Panthers,”
said that it was Mayor Jim Worrall, who is credited with saving that building.
Worrall spearheaded an aggressive public campaign to save the Perry school
building which now serves as the Board of Education office.
The organizers of the Save Rumble effort think that a
similar public outcry can be generated and that the building can be saved.
“We already have great enthusiasm, and I’m confident that we
will make a compelling case for the board to take a different path, ” said
Elliott.
A Save Rumble rally has been planned for 6 p.m. on Jan. 24
at the Wellston Center located at 155 Maple St. in Warner Robins. The public is
encouraged to attend.
For more information contact Jim Elliott at 478-447-0122 or
Brian Russ 478-954-0029.
HHJ News
