Big Creek High School
The photos below were taken October 4,
2008.
The new elementary school has been completed. Big Creek High
School is still there, but you can no longer see it from WV16.
WV16 is in the foreground. The front of the
elementary school faces WV16.
The back of the elementary school is on the left.
The front of Big Creek High School faces the back of the elementary school.
The photos below were taken October 6,
2007.
Notice that the new elementary school is nearing completion. The new
school almost completely blocks the view of the front of Big Creek High School.
Compare these pictures to the ones taken in 2005 below.
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 You can just see the top of BCHS above and behind the elementary school. |
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 This photo was taken at the back of the new elementary school. You can see BCHS on the right. |
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The photos below were taken at the
beginning of October 2006.
We were surprised to see that the "front yard" of Big Creek High School is gone.
The football field and stands have been moved to a new location behind the
school. The State of West Virginia is building a new elementary school
where the football field used to be. As we mentioned last year, the State
of West Virginia will close Big Creek High School in 2008. It's nice to
see that War is getting a new elementary school, but it's sad to see the changes
to BCHS.
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The photos below were taken at the end of
September 2005.
This is before the construction of the elementary school began.
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| Just inside the main door is a trophy cabinet. As everybody knows, football is the big thing in McDowell County, and today is no exception; there's a poster covering the entire case. Several students volunteered to take the sign down for a few minutes, and inside the case, we found football trophies, memorabilia from the movie October Sky, and the famous 1960 National Science Fair medal! |
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 National Science Fair Gold and Silver Medal Award 1960. Presented to Homer H. Hickam, Jr. Big Creek High School War, West Virginia |
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| Big Creek High School is just to the right of this picture. Notice the railroad crossing West Virginia 16 on the bridge. |
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The railroad track is almost even with the top of the green fence. On nights when a big game was being played, it was not uncommon for the engineer to stop the train here and watch part of the game. |
| The big creek (right) which runs by Big Creek High School (left). |
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Sadly, the State of West Virginia plans to close Big Creek High School in 2008 [now delayed to 2010]. They are building a new school called Big Creek-Iaeger High School, located in Bradshaw. Students will be bused from War to Bradshaw. (See article below.)
On a happy note, the City of War plans to preserve the building as a museum.
Links
Big Creek High School (Official Site)
http://boe.mcdo.k12.wv.us/bigcreek/
Big creek High School Alumni Site
www.bigcreekowls.org
Protecting the past - Big Creek High School facing a new life
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
December 19, 2005
This article discusses the pending closing of BCHS in 2008 and details some of
the ideas for preserving the heritage of Big Creek High School.
http://www.bdtonline.com/editorials/local_story_353170210.html?keyword=topstory