In an effort to preserve some of the history of our community, The Times is displaying photos of Henry County from the past. If you can tell us about the photo shown above, us using this form and tell us. In the next edition, we’ll reveal the details of the picture and notes readers send us.

Thanks to Mark Parker for bringing this photo to our office. This is a photograph of the Henry County Board of Education about 2 1/2 to 3 months before it opened. Lottie Ford wrote, “That is the old McDonough High School where I went from the eighth grade through the eleventh grade. Mr. Mobley’s (the principal) office was at the two windows on the left of the entrance. Down the hall to the right was our shorthand classroom, science classroom and typing on the other side of the kitchen. The kitchen was at the end of that hall. We would line up for our lunch and take it back to our classroom to eat. Other classrooms to the left were English, math, history, home economics, and Ag room.  Those were the good old days. We only had a girls and boys basketball team. We didn’t have a gym so we had to practice on a dirt court and play all our games away.” Jim Joyner stopped by and told us that this photo is, “currently the Henry County Board Of Education Administration Building. In 1969, when I graduated, it was Henry County High School. In 1953, it was McDonough High School. I believe it was built prior to 1948. The BOE built the school, but it is my under standing that volunteers got donations and built the gym.”

Lucile Tomberlin wrote, “The picture this week shows the Henry County High School (or it may have been called McDonough High) back in 1949-1954 I went to school there in 1952 after riding the school bus from Locust Grove. Otis Blissit was the driver.” Anne Reid Horning wrote, “This week’s picture was the Henry County High School Building through June, 1970. Located on Zack Hinton Parkway in McDonough, it now serves as the Henry Co. School Administration Building.” Jim Turner wrote, “The school was built in 1939, Dad, Jimmy Turner, Jr., had already graduated in ‘36. We built our house, the Jimmy and Elizabeth Turner home and moved in the summer/fall of 1953. I attended 1st grade there then transitioned to the new elementary school in 1954. Our house lot and the lot between us and the Thackers was a field in 1952-53 owned by Ralph Turner. Thackers did not have any trees in their front yard or had split lot between the homes until well after we moved in. Dad borrowed a tractor and tilled the lot that fall of ‘53 around Thanksgiving. There was a row of landscaping bushes planted along the school lot parallel to Cedar St (now Zack Hinton Blvd.) at the time we moved in. That’s where Mom got her switches. I would guess the bushes were about 3 to 4 years old at our move-in, note those bushes are not in the picture. Hence this picture would, if snow on the ground would be prior to winter of 1950. The school building window landscaping is well established, maybe 4 to 6 years old. I remember Mom remarking about the cold, snow and ice in Atlanta in 1942. Also there are no overhead power lines along East side of Cedar Street which would be needed to support Sandifer and Nell and Child houses built in the late 40’s (thinking post Victory in Europe Day, 1946-47. Conclusion – I’m leaning 1941-1946 picture. Nice memory lane.” Joe Turner also wrote in to correctly identify the photo.