West Middle Time Capsule

For those of us who attended West Middle School prior to our days at UHS, this is a special little nostalgic treat.  As many of you may recall, only a few years after we attended WMS, the school was decommissioned as a primary middle school for Grand Rapids Public Schools.  The building went through a few decades of abandonment, though it was eventually used limitedly for alternative education programs, administration services & storage, etc. 

That is until 2007-08 when a new vision was publically announced for the building.  It was to be fully renovated and converted into trendy downtown condominiums.  During the initial months of construction for that project, I was invited to come and walk through the school by some friends whom had purchased one of the condos.  They knew that I had attended WMS so they figured I would enjoy exploring the building and seeing the changes which were then fully underway.  

It was amazingly different, but familiar all the same.  We walked through the halls, reminiscing of years gone by.  After looking around on several floors, we eventually found our way into the Auditorium on the main level.  The room was a mess, with equipment & gear all around, white drapes from ceiling to floor, drywall & plaster buckets, etc.  It was dark and dusty.  We turned on a construction light so we could explore a bit. 

As we walked up onto the stage, our attention was immediately drawn to a small section of wall on the right side of the stage.  It was nothing less than a time capsule...a wall of graffiti from 30+ years ago.  After looking it over, we realized that this segment of wall had been covered and protected by the heavy red velvet stage curtains for all those years - it was only during construction that the curtains were removed and the wall revealed.  The graffiti included a group of names I instantly recognized.  The auditorium was alive with our laughter over our little discovery.  I took these photos and thought I would share them. 

By the way... word is that the wall was creatively preserved as a piece of nostalgic artwork, chosen by the owner of the condo which now includes the auditorium space in its unique & trendy design.  It has been said that the graffiti wall represented a unique character and history of the school and so it was chosen to remain as a testimony to that.  

So 5th hour drama class...all of you who shared in this fun teenager moment of scribbling your names on a hidden wall, you certainly made your mark and today, it's art!  :)  Enjoy!~