HISTORIC ETOWAH HIGH SCHOOL
Established 1928 - 1960
Grades 1 - 11
12th Grade added in 1945
Grades 1 - 11
12th Grade added in 1945
Etowah School, 1928 - 2002, designed by architect Earl Stillwell. Present day Etowah Elementary preserves one of the arch entries.
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Excerpt from the 1939 "Chief" school annual
" In 1928, a great forward step was taken in the educational system of Etowah, when the Horse Shoe, Rhymer, Pleasant Grove, Big Willow and Boylston schools were consolidated with Etowah, and the present modern building was erected. Mr. Ralph W. Jones has served efficiently as principal since opening of the high school. In 1928-1929, while the new building was under construction, the high school classes were taught in the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Jones were the teachers and there were only six graduates of the first class. The children of the grammar grades remained at the various elementary schools of the district until the opening of the 1929-1930 session." |
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Construction of Etowah School, 1927 Notes
from Minutes of Henderson County Board of Education
Plumbing Contract - J. L. Powers, $4,545 Heating Contract - J. L. Powers, $6, 793 Wiring Contract - Hendersonville Electric Co., $1,345 Total: $70,453
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Photo from 1947 Etowah School annual, "The Chief." The smaller building on the far right is the Cannery, operated by the Etowah Grange. Behind the main building is the Vocation School. In the surrounding farm fields are corn shocks from the harvest.
Photo courtesy of Henderson County Education History Initiative
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Photo courtesy of Henderson County Education History Initiative
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Photo courtesy of Henderson County Education History Initiative
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"The Etowah School with four hundred seventy three (473) students and seventeen (17) teachers
has never had a lunch room." In 1957, Lions Club President Robert E. Greer wrote a letter to the Times-News explaining the need for a lunch room for Etowah School. Greer describes the Cannery, which served as the school's lunch room for ten years, 1947 - 1958. "Although the building was well designed and constructed for a cannery, it is not satisfactory for a school lunch room. There is no ceiling overhead; the floor is made of concrete with open drains which must be covered with planks. ... Repeated attempts at poisoning have failed to keep the rats out. ... An attempt has been made to heat the building with two coal heaters; but in cold weather students near the stoves get too hot while others get too cold."
1959 Chief: "For several years we have needed a new cafeteria at Etowah. Finally, funds were made available for the building and construction was started in the spring of 1958. After watching and waiting, somewhat impatiently, we were served our first hot lunch on November 4, 1958." More about the Etowah Lions Club |
A photograph from the 1947 Chief - students having lunch in the Etowah Grange Cannery near the main school building. Pictured above, students having lunch at the Etowah Grange Cannery. L to R: Ellen Jean Fletcher, Bruce Hollingsworth, Euva Sentelle, Nell Allison, ? , Lena Bates, Sally Cantrell ?, Elizabeth Gossett, Marvin Orr, ? , Inez Johnson, ( ? ). Corrections, please contact the website.
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Brick sign constructed by Harold Allison; Chief emblem painted by Gene Corn. This structure did not survive the 2002 demolition.
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The new Etowah Elementary School - established 2002
The photo to the left shows the original 1928 school just before demolition which took place the week of June 3, 2002. Behind the 1928 school is the new school we see today. Care was taken to relocate one of the two arched concrete entrances to the new Etowah Elementary School. The other arched entrance was damaged in the tear down (below, left). |
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