Lovelady Old Gym

The Lovelady Old Gym was built in 1934 at a cost of $6,000. Mr. Byron B. Snell of Lovelady was chosen to be the supervising contractor for the construction of the gymnasium. Lovelady ISD built a new school in 1972 where the existing school plant stands today. The “Old Gym” is now a part of the City of Lovelady’s W. T. Burton Part. It stood neglected until a group of Lovelady exes and friends started a major “restoring” of the gym. The project was spear headed by the late Dr. Marvin E. Russell, a retired dentist who moved back home. This writer cannot possibly list all of the people who helped—but will say that nothing could have been started without the hard labor donated by the TDCJ Eastham Unit Inmates. There are many who have donated lunches, refreshment, equipment (plumbing, lighting, etc.) time, and a lot of hard work.

Air conditioning and heating have been installed. Stage curtains were bought from the Princess Theatre in Decatur, GA and have been put up on the stage. Thanks to Pete Johnson and Bobby Wayne Warren of Huntsville, the curtains were picked up and trucked to the Old Gym at no charge. New terrific sound equipment has been bought—in fact; the Gym has the best sound equipment in the county!!! The concrete floor has a new finish on it. A new buffer for the floor has been bought and used frequently! Theatre seats (out of the State Capitol) have been given to us by Lovelady ISD. Very comfortable hard plastic seats (with arms) were given to the gym by the Texas Youth Council, Crockett Campus. The rest of the nice white tables and folding chairs we have bought with either money donated or raised. A hand rail was installed down the steep steps on the North front entrance and four (4) handicap parking signs were bought and installed in front; Exit lighting was installed inside over each outside exit doors; the insulated ceiling has a new look. Buddy Broome has built steps from the men‟s dressing room to the stage. Buddy built a door that can be closed to keep traffic from coming into the gym (night time) at the annual Love Fest but people can still use the bathrooms from the outside doors. Buddy also built a beautiful podium for the stage and handrails leading up to the stage area. My husband, Jerry, rigged up electrical boxes to store part of the “snake” for the sound system. A security door was made/purchased to safe keep items in storage. The two flags on poles at the front of the stage were bought by the Five Year Homecoming Class. Furniture has been donated for both dressing rooms off the stage. Air Conditioners/Heaters were bought for the kitchen and the dressing rooms off the stage area. Ceiling fans/lights have been installed in the main area.

The band hall has been turned in to a wonderland kitchen! The following have donated equipment for this: Ronnie Wall and Wal-Mart a new Popcorn Popper, Crockett Senior Citizens Center a used ice-maker (at a low cost)—the ice-maker died! We had to purchase a new “top” to the icemaker to place on the storage bin. It cost us $2400. Crockett Community Care Center gave us a commercial sized 3 door refrigerator (we replaced the compressor in this—still low cost)—Ray Court of Gourmet Foods of Houston donated a small chest freezer; Randy and Belinda Allee of Callaway/Allee Funeral Home (Crockett) an under the counter hot water; Jerry D. Jones a double sink; Mary Alice Michka crystal dishes and candle holders for the tables; Broxson Hardware two (2) doors for the kitchen and E. J. (Pee Wee) Broxson has donated a cooler/box to ice down water/drinks for the concession stand. Jerry D. Jones donated a cooler/box to ice down drinks also. The commercial gas stove was replaced with a newer gas stove in 2005. Tooter Welch put new flooring in the room. Now—words cannot say thank you enough to Committee member J. T. Jordon and Mr. Joe Taylor for the long, hard hours put in designing and building the cabinets—they neither one would take any pay.

From funds raised by concerts, fund raisers, etc., we have added an air conditioner/heater to the kitchen and the two dressing rooms off the stage. Lovelady State Bank paid for the solar screens placed on the west windows of the Gym. This has cut down on the heat greatly. The Love Fest Committee in conjunction with the Crockett Coco Cola plant donated a drink machine to be used to help raise funds when a concession stand is not open. The City of Lovelady does not pay any of our maintenance fees; we raise the money to do this.

We still need to put bracing under the stage flooring. We would like to get proper stage lighting. The roof has a leak in two places—this needs to be fixed—we have had it checked twice BUT the roofing people cannot seem to find the leak.

In August, 2005, the band hall/kitchen had support put under it. This was another cost of $2400. but we needed it.

During the past years this building has been used for so many wonderful and different things! Concert fund raisers for the old gym, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, weddings and wedding receptions, family reunions, three funerals, Lovelady High School Prom, Love Fest, LHS FFA Banquet, LHS All Sports Banquet, LHS Academic Banquet, fundraisers, and the Lovelady Methodist Church‟s annual shrimp boil to name a few. Recently (August 2007) the 1st major Center Grove Alumni held a two-day reunion in the Gym. The money raised from renting this building keeps us going and improving this beautiful building.

Remember the paragraph I put in to you in a mail out? I repeat it now. A man from Spring wrote (many years ago) complaining about the condition of the gym. The old depot that WAS (it burned after being moved to Spring) was an eating place in Spring. This is what he had to say: “Someone had a vision that saw the depot as something that could be special with a little work and renovation. Perhaps Lovelady could use a few people with a vision.” Well, I think we all had a vision with all of the work that has been done, and it could not have been done WITHOUT YOUR HELP! We are soooo glad that the group that wanted to bulldoze the gym down did NOT get their way!!!!

Oh yes, the original flag pole that was out close to the highway, has been found and placed up close to the gym.

Dr. Marvin E. Russell, a man of vision, died in 2006. We all cannot thank him enough for working so hard to save this wonderful building. The kitchen was named the Marvin E. Russell Kitchen. Also, a scholarship has been established as the Lovelady Old Gym Marvin E. Russell Scholarship.

Thank goodness for Gene Clark. Gene is the “care-giver” at the L. O. G. He loves the gym as much as we do and is forever cleaning, waxing, buffing the floors and doing whatever is needed to be done. The area in front of the gym has been turned into beautiful flower beds. Gene has done such beautiful landscaping. The landscaping could NOT have been done without the generous donation of ALL the plants/trees. Tammy (Mrs. Matt) Anderson donated all of these by the trailer load from her nursery in Crockett.

The Lovelady Old Gym Committee consists of Chairman: Norma Dell (Monzingo) Jones. Members of the committee are J. T. Jordan, George Crowson, Harry and Mattie (Carrol) Driskell, Binky Monk, Nelda Jo Moore and Buddy Broome, Deborah Thompson Harrelson, Janice Harrelson, Byron Shoemaker, and honorary member Mrs. Marvin E. (Jean) Russell.

Thank you for caring and supporting! If you so desire, please send a contribution to the Lovelady Old Gym Project at the following address:

Lovelady Old Gym Project

% Norma Dell Jones

271 Noble Street

Lovelady, TX 75851