Mystery Unveiled: Ancient Doodles Inside Maine's Old School Hint at Centuries-Old Secrets
Imagine if your high school doodles and secret notes to classmates could speak. What tales would they tell about teenage crannies of your life? At the University of Southern Maine’s historic Academy Building, those whispers from the past are echoing through time, thanks to some renovations that went beyond a simple facelift.
If you’ve ever wondered what high school students got up to in Maine almost 200 years ago (besides learning their ABCs and 123s), ponder no more! Construction workers inadvertently unearthed a trove of youthful expressions—math equations sitting next to love letters, sketches of big-nosed teachers, and even plans for rendezvous playground swings—a peek into a time capsule of adolescent antics and affections.
The Academy Building, now a canvas for budding artists at the university, has its walls filled with the spirited graffiti of yesteryear students. Who knew that alongside algebra woes, they harbored passions for apple blossoms and secret after-class meetups? Let’s not forget, these were the original influencers before the concept of ‘Snapchat’ even snuck into the vocabulary.
Here’s the thought-provoking question: If walls could talk, what stories would they reveal about your own high school days?
Learn more about how these whisperings from the past are bringing history to life today here. LEARN MORE
During restorations at the historic Academy Building at the University of Southern Maine, construction workers recovered dozens of letters and drawings from students who attended high school in the building nearly 200 years ago.
University of Southern MaineThe full collection of notes and doodles discovered in the walls of the former high school.
Nearly 200 years ago, students at a private high school in Gorham, Maine, recorded small moments of their lives in handwritten notes and sketches, offering a peek into the teens’ budding romances, personal passions, and frustrations with teachers. Now, their messages have been rediscovered by construction workers carrying out restorations on the building where the teens once attended class.
The high school became part of the University of Southern Maine’s Gorham campus in 1878, and today, the structure serves as a studio for art students at the college. Recent renovations to restore the Academy Building to its former glory revealed the trove of papers stashed behind its walls, and now the university is working to carefully preserve these glimpses into its past.
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