Nancy Fennell Hawkins, who grew up in Maplewood, is writing a book about her childhood for her children. She emailed 40 South News looking for archival photos and shared some memories.
Hawkins lived at 2605 Valley from 1936 – 1959. Her parents were Robert and Dorothy Fennell. She said it was “right behind Ruth and Fred Wolf’s on Laclede Station Road.”
Hawkins started going to Valley School in 1941. “I have great memories of that school on Manchester,” she said. “It had a round fire escape that we got into from the second floor,” she said.
“Early years we shopped at a little store on the corner of Bredell and Manchester, called Benders,” she said. “Just down a bit was a little shop called Godfreys. I worked for Mr. Godfrey when I was in the 5th and 6th grades.”
Hawkins said her dad was on the police force. “We knew all the police and firemen and always stopped in to say hello.”
“Maplewood was a great place to grow up and I want my kids to know how it was back then,” she said.
Doug Houser has a large collection of Maplewood photos, and was able to supply Hawkins with historic photos of the Valley School and the Maplewood Police Department.
Valley School was on Manchester across from the current City Hall, according to Houser. The stone wall remains, and now contains an apartment complex.
Houser said Valley School was demolished in the mid ’50s and rebuilt across Oakland on the former site of the athletic field. This building survives as todays ECC.
I don’t think she founded Valley School. When it said she started Valley School it means she started there as a student.
Thanks, Charlotte. Of course.
Well, the obvious bit missing from this post is where was Valley School? Off Valley Road I would guess, but where exactly?
Ian – looking into where and when of Valley School.
Ian asked about the location of the school. Valley School was not on Valley Ave, but on Manchester Rd at Oakland Ave, on the South side of Manchester. The photo you’ve posted is looking East from the site of the present day Early Childhood Center….originally the “new” Valley School, built in 1955. I was attending third grade at that time, and felt very important when we students got to help make the move to our new building by carrying books and classroom supplies across Oakland! The picture shows the West side of the building, and the front, which you can’t see in the photo, faced Manchester Rd.
When they began demolition of the old building, I salvaged a red brick, and had several of the staff sign it. I believe it’s still stored away somewhere with other childhood memorabilia in my basement, but not sure if the signatures are still visible, since I used a #2 lead pencil……HA!
I lived on Jerome Ave.
I attended Valley School from 1950 until 1954.
Our family them moved to Mexico Mo.
My grandfather worked for the Post Dispatch for fifty five years.
My mother’s family were south St. Louis people.