BY TED SHOCKLEY, Eastern Shore Post —
Northampton High School’s four tennis courts — some of the only tennis courts in the county — have been razed as part of the school’s $81.3 million upgrade.
In addition, the girthy willow oak trees in front of the school that linked generations of graduates and gave a stateliness to the campus entry also will be removed as part of the school construction and rehabilitation project.
And the vocational agriculture shop, where legions of students over 70 years learned everything from welding to woodworking, also will be demolished.
Superintendent Lisa Martin said removal of the tennis courts and oak trees was an unfortunate reality of construction. The ag shop is in the oldest part of the high school.
“We hope to replace the courts in the future,” said Martin. She said the space once occupied by the four tennis courts is being used as a staging area for new construction.
“Space is at a premium as we are building a new building while still occupying the old,” she said.
The asphalt surface of the courts was milled and used as the base for a new bus loop.
On a recent day, some of the black chain-link fence and black poles of the tennis court lay discarded nearby.
The high school’s tennis team is looking for a new home as a result.
“We are looking at options to support our tennis team,” Martin said.
Martin said the new high and middle school building will necessitate the removal of the willow oaks, which can live for hundreds of years.
“We understand the importance and significance of the trees,” Martin said, but their size precludes relocating them.
Instead, she said plans are being explored to use the wood from the willow oaks in the new school.
“We want to honor the trees and are looking into options for harvesting and utilizing the wood within the building,” she said.
Like with the tennis courts, Martin said available space is an issue and the land occupied by the willow oaks was needed.
“Options for expansion and design were limited,” she said.
Martin said classrooms will be constructed on land where the vocational agriculture shop now stands.
The shop will be razed and the agriculture program will be moved into the adjacent technology education building.
The project to refurbish and add to the school took years of design and financial planning by the county.
Northampton voters in a referendum approved a 1% sales tax increase to help fund the project.
A groundbreaking was held in March.
