Is there still an O. W. Phair Elementary school in Laurel? (Bowie: apartments, credit)

[Sundance]

I went to first and second grade in Laurel, MD, at O.W.Phair.
Is it still there?

[Gabrielle]

It doesn't look like it still exists. I checked both the Prince George's County Public School system and the Howard County Public School system websites, and neither of them list an elementary school by that name.

[CM1348]

Sorry to say that O.W. (Owen Wood) Phair Elementary ceased operation around 1979 or so. The population in the city of Laurel had shifted to the South and North (to Montgomery and Howard County) and P.G. County decided to close the school, but still operate the attached Clinic (am I am not sure if that is still open). In the mid 80's, the County sold the building to private investors, who renovated it and subsequently built a mid-rise office building between it and the former Gorman Manor apartments (right where the South ball field was - where we ran 600 yd sprints in gym class). After the renovation, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission temporarily had offices in the school building. In 1989, I actually interviewed for a WSSC job in a space that was once occupied by Rooms 2 and 4, which is where (in the mid 60's) Mrs. Startzel and Mrs. Craig had there classrooms. I told the interviewer this fact and he was puzzled by my comment (probably contributed to me not getting the job). I attended the school from 1965 to 1971 and generally recall it being a great place (I can still remember the smell of the bathrooms between the classrooms in the east wing being cleaned by Ms. Katy - who is no longer with us. Whatever it was she used to clean the rooms, it kept all of us K-3 graders pretty spaced out for several minutes a day!). Carl from Laurel.

[Gnpdon]

Originally Posted by CM1348

Sorry to say that O.W. (Owen Wood) Phair Elementary ceased operation around 1979 or so. The population in the city of Laurel had shifted to the South and North (to Montgomery and Howard County) and P.G. County decided to close the school, but still operate the attached Clinic (am I am not sure if that is still open). In the mid 80's, the County sold the building to private investors, who renovated it and subsequently built a mid-rise office building between it and the former Gorman Manor apartments (right where the South ball field was - where we ran 600 yd sprints in gym class). After the renovation, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission temporarily had offices in the school building. In 1989, I actually interviewed for a WSSC job in a space that was once occupied by Rooms 2 and 4, which is where (in the mid 60's) Mrs. Startzel and Mrs. Craig had there classrooms. I told the interviewer this fact and he was puzzled by my comment (probably contributed to me not getting the job). I attended the school from 1965 to 1971 and generally recall it being a great place (I can still remember the smell of the bathrooms between the classrooms in the east wing being cleaned by Ms. Katy - who is no longer with us. Whatever it was she used to clean the rooms, it kept all of us K-3 graders pretty spaced out for several minutes a day!). Carl from Laurel.

I stumbled upon this message while searching Google Maps for childhood school locations. I was not able to find OW Phair Elementary, and this explains why. I went to 1st and second grade there from 1958 to 1960.....God, am I old! We moved to California in 1969. My Mother taught music at Laurel Jr. High which I remember as being near OW Phair with a large (in the eye of a 7 year old) field seperating them. I never was able to ID the location using Google Sat. photos and you explained why. Do you know what happened to the Jr. High? It was built about 1958, as I remember it was brand new. Thanks for your posting...it was a total fluke that I happened to stumble onto it!

[kjg1963]

I believe the Junior High is now the Laurel Municipal Center. Completely renovated building. Both of those school buildings are still in use.

[GotBackHome]

That's the building that used to be a school on Old Sandy Spring? Currently between the Laurel Municipal Center and the Tower Federal Credit Union. It was sold off a while back to private investors. has a nice apple tree at a front corner though.

I don't actually remember what the Municipal Center used to be (although I remember it wasn't always there). I know the old Laurel High School on 7th & Montgomery is currently the Phelps Senior Center and the Laurel Boys & Girls club. I was in there for a cpr class last fall - my it's rickety!

[kjg1963]

Yep, it's a shame about the old high school. It's being used, but its not being taken care of.
"Laurel High School (LHS) is a public high school located in Laurel, Maryland, and is the oldest school in the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Founded in 1899 with an enrollment of 59 students and four teachers, the school building was originally what is now the Phelps Community Center in Laurel."

You would think that would give it enough historical significance to have someone try to maintain it at the least.

On Laurel's Website, I saw mention that the old Junior High is now the Municipal Center.

[smart67]

Hey CM1348, you and I went to school together. I was there from 1963-65. Had Mrs. Flick, Mrs. Ullmeyer, and Miss Sandra Wight. I was at O.W. Phair when President Kennedy was assassinated. In 1966, moved to Bowie (Belair) up 197. Lived at Steward Manor Apartments on 198 and had a school bus driver named Mr. Weaver. My sister also went to O.W. Phair - then Laurel Jr. High. Today, I lived in Palmdale, CA. Small world. So good to discover those from very long ago who walked the same path.

[amasonis]

My great-grandfather was OW Phair I knew my great-grandmother, who we called "Uh-Oh", but he died long before I was born.

[CM1348]

Originally Posted by Gnpdon

I stumbled upon this message while searching Google Maps for childhood school locations. I was not able to find OW Phair Elementary, and this explains why. I went to 1st and second grade there from 1958 to 1960.....God, am I old! We moved to California in 1969. My Mother taught music at Laurel Jr. High which I remember as being near OW Phair with a large (in the eye of a 7 year old) field seperating them. I never was able to ID the location using Google Sat. photos and you explained why. Do you know what happened to the Jr. High? It was built about 1958, as I remember it was brand new. Thanks for your posting...it was a total fluke that I happened to stumble onto it!

OW Phair was on 1100 West Street (intersecting with Park Ave.) and The Jr. High was on Sandy Spring Road. Google Maps still refers to it as "Phair School". Here's the general link (just zoom in) WEST ST LAURL MD - Google Maps

The Secondary side (grades 4-6) had two hardcourt play areas: the upper (directly behind the wing) and the lower (closer to the Junior High). I recall one being asphalt and the other being concrete. No one wanted to play 4-Square on the concrete one because the ball would shoot in all directions if you hit a crack or a pebble (which that court was loaded with). I too recall the Jr. High as being that 'building way off in the distance where the big kids went to school'.

From your post, it appears that we missed each other by 1 summer (I started 1st grade in Sept 1965). I do recall when Kennedy was shot, as my brothers all came home from school about an hour early and I wanted to know why; but no one would tell me. After that, the TV was shut off and my mom would only let us listen to the radio until the funeral the next Monday (I guess it was either out of respect for JFK, or she didn't want me finding out what happened and end up with me asking a lot of questions she didn't feel up to explaining to a 4-year-old!).