It’s just an ordinary building. It has one large meeting room, the usual two bathrooms, a large kitchen which can accommodate preparation of group meals, an office and a storage room. As you come in the front door you see a fire place on the opposite side of the room. There is parking out front and a walkway leading up to the front door. If a large group comes, the parking places are inadequate but since it is next door to the park, the people can park there. It isn’t much of a walk.
A building can’t have feelings, can it? After all, it is just made from bricks, mortar and the usual building materials. It doesn’t qualify as a historical building since it has only been there since the middle fifties. It was 1950 when the residents of Newberry Springs began discussing the need for a community building. Meetings were held in homes or in a barn if the group was too large for their living rooms.
They started holding bake sales, pancake breakfasts and barbecues in a barn and the ladies made crafts which were sold at bazaars. They put on dinners and even a variety show. These fund raisers went on from 1951 to 1954. The land was donated. Some of the men and women began to lay the foundation in 1954. No one had a large income. They were working people raising families. When the building was started, the kids that were big enough worked beside Mom and Dad. Otherwise, they were brought along and a play area was designated with someone to watch over them. They paid individually for the price of the bricks, one brick at a time The bricks were large concrete blocks. Gradually, it began to go up.
As soon as the building reached the point were it had a framework with a roof, they began to move the fund raisers into the building. They had pot luck suppers, dime-a- dip luncheons, craft bazaars and anything else they could come up with as a fund raising idea. Many times they had the meals and worked on construction at the same time. All was done with a spirit of working for a goal that would benefit all of them.
More than forty years have gone by. Now it is used for meetings for the local Community Services District and the office is used for their Administrative Assistant. Fund raiser breakfasts are put on there to raise money for the local Independence Day celebration and other community events. The Fourth of July is, by the way, a big deal in this community with slightly over 5,000 residents. There is a parade, the park has local organizations with booths, games for the children and, of course, barbecue plates and sandwiches. It often ends with fireworks in the park with the local volunteer fire fighters standing by. During the day the Senior Service Association put on Bingo and sell crafts in the building. This building was the meeting place for the seniors for eleven years before they finally got their own building. Where does the Independence Day parade end? At the door of the Community Building, where else?
At Christmas time the local American Legion post hosts a party for all the children in the community complete with Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus giving out gifts. The Post building is next door but the Center is the building of choice for the party.
A building can’t have feelings, can it? It is just a building, not flesh and blood. I don’t know about that. I think that this building does. I think it feels pride and likes having the laughter of children there, the serious discussions of the Community Service District, the training of the volunteer fire fighters and the myriad of other uses. Sometimes you can drive by old buildings that are deserted with broken windows and graffiti. Don’t you think they look lonely? This building doesn’t. It is maintained and, when needed, gets a new paint job. It has a welcoming look. Come on in. I’m available for your meeting. The pancake breakfast is here next Sunday morning and your friends will be here. Come to the meeting and support your elected community representatives and what they are trying to do for you. When you come here you are saying you are a participant in this community. That’s why I’m here. I’m needed and that is what I want.