Historic Gym Flooring Piece Salvaged, Restored as Table

The 1950s gym flooring was made into a conference table at Bridge City High School (Photo: Bridge City High School Facebook)A piece of gym flooring at a Southeast Texas high school survived 70 years, two layers of additional flooring and 18 inches of flood water—and now it’s got yet another life, this time as a conference table.

The original 1950s gym floor was uncovered beneath two layers of flooring at Bridge City High School in Bridge City, Texas, in 2008, after Hurricane Ike severely damaged the facility and forced renovations, The Orange Leader reports. The principal at the time elected to preserve the historic centerpiece of the original floor when it was discovered. In 2020, the high school decided to turn the 6-by-6-foot piece of hardwood into a conference table.

The painted artwork on the flooring, two cardinals, was added in the 1960s, according to the school.

The original floor was rediscovered after Hurricane Ike in 2008. (Photo: Bridge City High School Facebook)