People have driven by the old school buildings, now Midway’s City Hall, on Highway 84 since they were completed in 1951, but how many people know their history, their present purpose or their planned future.
The present location of Midway City Hall is in the original Liberty County High School. The county added elementary grades to the high school in the mid ’50s.
Liberty County High School picked up the educational duties of the Dorchester Academy when it closed in the late 1940s. The school continued to educate the high school children of the black community until 1972 with the integration of the schools in Liberty County. From 1972 to 2003 the campus was the home of Liberty Elementary School.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department opened a substation after the school closed and it still exists. This left the rest of the campus empty and available. Dr. Clementine Washington, Midway councilwoman, said the city decided to move city hall to the old school, “for additional space to accommodate personnel changes, to enhance customer service and to provide a gathering place for the community, while helping to preserve the facility.”
The old city hall, near the intersection of Highways 84 and 17, now houses the Midway Police Department. In addition to city hall and the sheriff’s substation, the former school campus holds the Midway Civic Center. The center serves as an excellent meeting room for community events and meetings to include council meetings.
The future holds more changes for the buildings. According to the city’s master plan, city hall will change locations again. In the master plan, the future city hall will be built between Martin Road and Highway 84.
The plans for the old school campus are a little more involved and tied to county plans. The Liberty County Recreational Department may be controlling a large interest in the campus depending on the returns gained through future special sales tax funding.
According to Mayor Don Emmons, the campus will be a part of the Eastern Liberty County Recreational Department that is planning to build ball fields, tennis courts, a swimming pool and a skate park on the campus.
Lastly, the Midway branch of the Live Oak Public Library System will move to the old Liberty County High School campus. This will allow for a greater inventory and a location to position the library to better serve the community.
There does not appear to be a set time for all of these changes, but one thing seems to be clear. There will be some overlap where the recreational department, library, sheriff’s department and Midway City Hall and Civic Center could all be open and operating on the campus at the same time.
This campus has played a major role in Midway’s history and is important to government. As plans exist, the old campus will thrive as a center of activity in both the county and the city.
The present location of Midway City Hall is in the original Liberty County High School. The county added elementary grades to the high school in the mid ’50s.
Liberty County High School picked up the educational duties of the Dorchester Academy when it closed in the late 1940s. The school continued to educate the high school children of the black community until 1972 with the integration of the schools in Liberty County. From 1972 to 2003 the campus was the home of Liberty Elementary School.
The Liberty County Sheriff’s Department opened a substation after the school closed and it still exists. This left the rest of the campus empty and available. Dr. Clementine Washington, Midway councilwoman, said the city decided to move city hall to the old school, “for additional space to accommodate personnel changes, to enhance customer service and to provide a gathering place for the community, while helping to preserve the facility.”
The old city hall, near the intersection of Highways 84 and 17, now houses the Midway Police Department. In addition to city hall and the sheriff’s substation, the former school campus holds the Midway Civic Center. The center serves as an excellent meeting room for community events and meetings to include council meetings.
The future holds more changes for the buildings. According to the city’s master plan, city hall will change locations again. In the master plan, the future city hall will be built between Martin Road and Highway 84.
The plans for the old school campus are a little more involved and tied to county plans. The Liberty County Recreational Department may be controlling a large interest in the campus depending on the returns gained through future special sales tax funding.
According to Mayor Don Emmons, the campus will be a part of the Eastern Liberty County Recreational Department that is planning to build ball fields, tennis courts, a swimming pool and a skate park on the campus.
Lastly, the Midway branch of the Live Oak Public Library System will move to the old Liberty County High School campus. This will allow for a greater inventory and a location to position the library to better serve the community.
There does not appear to be a set time for all of these changes, but one thing seems to be clear. There will be some overlap where the recreational department, library, sheriff’s department and Midway City Hall and Civic Center could all be open and operating on the campus at the same time.
This campus has played a major role in Midway’s history and is important to government. As plans exist, the old campus will thrive as a center of activity in both the county and the city.