Junior High

My junior high school buildings were cool because they looked like those schools in the movies. The building above was called Miller B when I attended it in the early 70's. I had a few classes there. Most of my classes and homeroom were next door in Miller A. Not sure those tall trees had even been planted back when I was there.  

Back then elementary school in Macon was first through seventh grade. Junior high was eighth and ninth grade. Then we moved a few blocks east to Central High - comprised of Lanier B (boys homerooms) and Lanier B across the street (girls homerooms). At one point Miller A and B were the girls high school (junior and senior high) and Lanier A and B were the boys junior and senior high. When I was there Miller junior high was coed. In tenth grade I had very few girls in my classes, but by my senior year all but homeroom was coed.

The Miller B steps were used for pep rallies. Inside the staircases were wide, and classroom ceilings were high. As I recall there was no air conditioning, but the heat didn't seem oppressive. I always remember being in an 8th grade class taught by a football coach when he was told that head coach Steiner had passed away. We were excused early that day.

A Mercer University student recently published these pictures on an abandoned places web site here. She had no knowledge of the history of the place, except for the plaques on the buildings. Miller B had been built in 1930.

The Miller B gym (above) holds memories of PE class and church basketball games. Its where I won my two round boxing match over Rex Dooley. Good times. Outside on the now unkempt grass we'd play softball. It's where I caught the bus. I always remember the day it snowed 22 inches.

Miller A (above) is where I spent most of my time. It hasn't weathered the years quite as well.