THE ROCK BUILDING* Built: 1934* Students in 1934: 300* Teachers in 1934: 13* 1935: Home economics building, cannery and electric lights added* 1935: First graduation held* 2004: Placed on the National Register of Historic Places* Sept. 26, 2009: Fire guts old schoolSource: Murray County Museum online archives and history
CHATSWORTH, Ga. – The Old Rock Building has been a part of Chatsworth’s landscape for 77 years, but after a 2009 fire that gutted the stone-and-mortar structure, it wasn’t clear if anyone would grace its halls again.
On Tuesday, though, Murray County Schools employees reopened the building, which will be used as administrative offices for the school system.
The $1.7 million project had its detractors, but this week officials say it was an investment that hasn’t cost taxpayers a penny and will preserve a big piece of Murray’s past.
“There was mixed reaction initially to rebuilding it,” said Danny Dunn, the school system’s director of personnel and facilities. “No one even dreamed that it could be rebuilt.”