FAIRHAVEN While many classrooms are focused on propelling students forward, Hastings Middle School pulled its eighth grade students back through a walk down memory lane.
A virtual walk, that is. Chris Richard, director of tourism for the Fairhaven Office of Tourism, guided the students in Grace Galinha s media arts class through the virtual Henry Huttleston Walking Tour, typically given in person.
After learning about the town s architecture and rich history, Richard educated students on the evolution of postcards and how black and white photos of the town were shipped off to Germany for colorization, but most images would be slightly off-colored, something students found most intriguing.
The other shoe dropped for the city of Henderson 50 years ago when the state ordered that it either immediately vacate its 1903 City Hall or spend a fortune to make it safe.
Problems with the large building at First and Elm streets had been looming for years. The Gleaner of Dec. 20, 1965, reported that an architect had been hired to design a new city hall. But then the proposal got caught up in a huge controversy when Mayor Maurice Galloway decided it ought to be built in the northeast corner of Central Park.
Public hearings were held but that proposal didn’t get public confirmation from the mayor for months. The Gleaner of Feb. 15, 1969, reported the Henderson City Commission had voted 4-1 behind closed doors to approve the park idea.