Gorrie Elementary in Tampa has a lot to celebrate Friday.
The school is turning 125 years old. According to school officials, that makes it the oldest elementary school in Florida.
The school first opened as Hyde Park Grammar School on West Platt Street and South Magnolia Avenue in 1889. The school moved to its current location on South Boulevard in 1915 and was renamed for John B. Gorrie, a Florida physician who received the first U.S. patent for mechanical refrigeration.
One of the many students who walked the Gorrie halls during the school's 125 years, Joyce Karpay is excited about the celebration.
"That’s what it’s all about," said Karpay, who attended Gorrie from 1942 to 1947. "Happy memories of your youth because you never forget that."
Karpay said it was different world when she attended the school during World War II.
"The one treat we that we all loved was bubblegum because it wasn’t available during the war years," Karpay said. "And when the armistice was declared, the teacher came in with a big bucket of bubblegum. That was our celebratory repast."
The Gorrie halls are lined with black and white pictures, each one capturing moments in time.
Those experiences will be celebrated today with a reception, program and student-led tours for former students.
Even though a lot has changed at Gorrie since Karpay was a student here, she says there’s one thing that remains constant and that’s the memories students and families get to create here at this historic location.
"These children are lucky to be at Gorrie Elementary," Karpay said.