Superintendent Amy Stewart recently shared the mail with the members of the school board.

It was a letter dated April 1, from Lowell Joerg of Stockton, Calif., accompanied by a postcard.

“Some time ago, I was at an antique store and found this circa 1909 picture card of your beautiful school of that era,” Joerg wrote. “I said to myself, ‘By golly, I think I’ll send it home where it can be appreciated.'”

“I’m thinking you and your friends might enjoy it,” he said.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Lowell Joerg of Stockton, Calif., sent this postcard featuring the Old Warren High School circa 1909 and a letter to Warren County School District. The school building was demolished in 1961.

The postcard features an image of the old Warren High School building — the Warren, PA, Central High School, according to the card.

“How the card ever got to California, we’ll never know,” Joerg said.

The school on the postcard was not the original public high school in Warren.

“Between 1854 and 1856, Warren’s Union School was built facing Third Avenue where the Municipal Building is located today,” according to the Warren County Historical Society Executive Director Michelle Gray. “It was the town’s first free public school.”

“By 1870, the (Union School) building had become overcrowded, so, in 1871, a three-story Italian Renaissance brick structure, Warren Central School, was added to the original building,” Gray said.

There is not a Renaissance brick structure on the postcard — unless the name moved along with the students, the postcard should say “Warren High School.”

“In 1897, a new high school was built on the southeast corner of Market Street and Second Avenue,” she said.

That building is the one on the postcard.

Now known generally as Old Warren High School, that building served the students of Warren for over 60 years. It’s been gone for 50.

“The old Warren High School was demolished in 1961,” Gray said.

Joerg went to some lengths to get the postcard back home.

“I found it to be such a thoughtful gesture, and really appreciate the piece of district history,” Stewart said.

For one school official, the image in the postcard brought the school’s alma mater to mind.

“While I do not know much about the postcard or the person who sent the postcard I think that is the building behind the first verse of the Alma Mater,” Board President Paul Mangione said. “High in air thy spires are tow’ring, Gleaming the light.”

“For whatever reason I think I was in a cappella and someone asked the question as to what are spires and Mr. B told the story about the old Warren High School,” Mangione said.

Joerg’s Redistribution of Happiness is not limited to Warren County.

Over the years, there have been news stories about him sending similar correspondence to counties, municipalities and school districts.

In his letter, Joerg, who said he will celebrate his 94th birthday in June, said, “I hope this brightens your day.”

“I like to call my little hobby a ‘re-distribution of happiness,” Joerg said. “Our world sure needs it.”

He gave his address and told Stewart he welcomed return correspondence — “I love souvenirs, too.”