The building that serves as today’s City Hall was at one time the center of formal education in Ocean City. This was the site of Ocean City High School from 1917 until its merger with Berlin’s Buckingham High to form Stephen Decatur High School in 1954. During much of that time, it was one of the smallest high schools in the state.
Elementary students had shared the premises with the high school students for many years. They continued to occupy the classrooms until the elementary school was moved to West Ocean City in 1965 after which the former school was renovated to become City Hall. Many locals can trace their early education to the big brick building on the corner of 3rd Street and Baltimore Avenue.
The photo shows Mrs. Henrietta Timmons’ first grade class in 1955. The boy in the dark T-shirt fifth from the right in the front row is Barry Berger, Ocean City’s only native son to die in Vietnam. Berger, an Army ranger, was killed in action when his helicopter crashed on Jan. 10, 1971.
Photo courtesy Albert Berger