Farewell Before Exeter Junior High Demolished

A farewell ceremony for the Exeter Area Junior High School will be held later this month.

The school, which operated for more than 40 years, will be demolished to make way for a new YMCA center.

The ceremony will be held Fri., Dec. 14 at 12 p.m. The school is located at 56 Linden St. The ceremony is being organized by the Southern District YMCA, the group that will build on the property.

Exeter Area Junior High School opened in 1967. There were two principals—Frank Kozacka and Thomas Meehan. David Emanuel—the grandson of Mr. Kozacka—and Meehan will remove the first bricks from the building during the ceremony.

The Southern District YMCA purchased the 10-acre property and plans to build a new community center with a pool, gym, and indoor track. There will also be room for child care, youth, and senior services, among other features. Town officials approved the project earlier this year.

The group said the demolition should be completed by mid-February. It said workers have already started asbestos removal.

The group is putting together a capital campaign to raise money for construction.

YMCA officials said the building will have energy effiency features.