More On Civic Park School Vandalism

Blake Thorne of The Flint Journal reports on the urban miners stripping Civic Park School:

Authorities have been called to the school at 1402 W. Dayton St. seven times between June 7 and 21, said Stephen Todd, Flint’s 911 administrator.

Some of the calls were for reports of suspicious people, two were for malicious destruction of property and at least two callers also requested the fire department, Todd said.

Flint School District officials are aware of the problem, and workers will secure the openings “as soon as possible,” said district spokesman Robert Campbell.

“It’s an old, tired game of keep-away,” Campbell said. “You secure the structure, you do what you can do to keep people out of it and the vandals do what they can to get in.

“It’s extremely frustrating and disappointing,” he said.

Go here to see the earlier Flint Expatriates post on the vandalism, including photos.

Civic Park School in Decline with Photos

Some disturbing, yet predictable, news from a friend living in Civic Park:

I've heard several scanner calls, with no cars available to take, about people hauling metal out of the school. This morning, we drove around the building. All the 1st floor windows on the West (Humboldt) side & most of the 1st floor windows at the back of the building are gone. They've been torn out to get the metal window frames. You can see right inside the building. A lot of the 2nd & 3rd floor windows are broken.

Photos coming soon.

UPDATE: Here are the photos...

Photos and cutlines courtesy of Dave Starr.

Flint Photos: Marion Dena Pohrt and Civic Park School

Marion Pohrt was a long-time Flint resident, attending Civic Park and later teaching at the school. She died last summer, and her son Tom Pohrt passed along these photos.

"Best algebra class in the city." Marion Pohrt, fourth from right, first row standing. Civic Park School, 1929

Marion Pohrt, fourth from the right, top row. Civic Park School, 1922.

Marion Pohrt, third from left, second row. Civic Park School, 1924.

Flint Photos: 1972 Civic Park School Fire

Sunday at the Balkan Bakery

Civic Park School is now closed, but the Balkan Bakery lives on.

Disappearing Schools Map

Here's a map with all the schools slated to be closed by the Flint Board of Education.


View Flint School Closings in a larger map

Memories of Civic Park and Sears Kit Houses

Flint Expatriate Roadsidedinerlover looks back at the Flint houses she remembers...

My earliest Flint memories were of my loving grandparents, Marguerite and David. Their home [left] was built by my grandfather from a Sears kit in 1920. I think their home was the one called 'The Bandon."

My grandmother was a homemaker who made incredible meals and lemon meringue pies that I still dream about. My grandfather was a tool and die maker for the Buick factory. He came to Flint because they would not hire him as an Irish Catholic man in Boston.

My mother was the first born child and then came my uncle. Both of them grew up in the Civic Park area on Mt. Elliott Avenue and attended Civic Park school. They had aunts and uncles who lived in the area as well. The earliest photos I have of them as children show Civic Park with few trees and only a handful of houses. My mother told me that there used to be a streetcar that ran down Dayton Street and then turned onto Detroit Street to take her and her mother downtown. This would have been in the early 1930s. On the corner of Dayton and Detroit was an A&P store where I would go shopping with my grandmother. I always thought "Ann Page" was a real woman.

I loved sitting on my Grandma's porch. One day she was upset and crying because a little boy from across the street had been hit and killed on Chevrolet Avenue. There was so much love in that house. The first time I saw it again after my uncle sold it, I was dumbstruck by its condition. I did not know it had been repossessed by a local mortgage company. I wish I could win the lottery and buy it and fix it up. This is a just one of many houses in Civic Park that are tattered and torn up. So many emotions come over me...anger and sorrow being the strongest ones. Anger towards General Motors is my primary one.

My great Aunt Emma's house [left] is on Dayton across from Civic Park school. There used to be a large Coca Cola sign on one of the stores across the street. It was a great soda fountain shop and drugstore I believe. I remember going there and having something sugary to eat. This store was right down from the Balkan Bakery. I would love going to see my aunt and seeing all of her old furniture from the past. She had a Hoosier Cabinet in her kitchen and a clawfoot bath tub upstairs. This home was occupied the last time I saw it about 5 years ago.

Flint Artifacts: 1977-1978 Civic Park Yearbook

How about some help with the names in the comment section? Just click on the class photos for a larger image.