Bridgewater High School - Aurora Yearbook (Bridgewater, VA)

Page 18 text:

.:uY '11, lvl, :nl 11? lll rv' -9 3 - WN .. ,1'.5dKkE0ii V X. '.- Mr. S. S. Shoemaker was principal from 1911 to 1918. The school made much progress under his guidance, meeting the requirements of the state for a three year high school in 1911 and for a fully accredited four year high school in 1916. The enrollment increased from 187 in 1911 to 229 in 1917-185 the faculty from six members to ten members. The in- crease in enrollment necessitated dividing the auditorium into three class rooms. At this time it was thought the school had certainly reached its maximum size. The present administration was inaugurated in September, 1918, by the addition of a new department, the Smith-Hughes Vocational Agricultural department offering six units of vocational work. To meet the needs of this new work a small wooden structure was erected to serve as class room and shop. At the same time it was necessary to move one grade to the I. O. O. F. Hall. The school continued to grow in many ways. The Hall was pur- chased by the school in 1922, serving to accommodate two grades, the new Smith-Hughes vocational Home Economics department, gymnasium and auditorium. This same year four rooms were added to the original brick structure. This building has been overcrowded for several years and now in 1930 an effort is being made to double the size of the building by extending it toward the east with an entrance on Dinkle Avenue. The school has increased in enrollment from 187 in the elementary grades and 82 in the high school in 1918-19 to 234 and .196 respectively in 1929-30. The faculty has grown from ten to fifteen members. ' The course of study has broadened from eighteen units in 1918 to about thirty in 1929- 30, thus providing some electives. The new courses added have been in agriculture, home economics, science, French, and Bible. The equipment has kept pace with growth in other lines. The laboratory has been increased to the equal of the best rural schools in the country. The library from less than 400 volumes in 1918 has grown to over 2,000 volumes in 1929-30. The equipment for the elementary school has increased in a corresponding de- gree. Grade libraries, with good book cases. many maps, and all sorts of appliances for modern methods of teaching are to be found in the rooms: Attractive and instructive pic- tures adorn the walls. Play ground equipment has been installed and more is on hand to be put up, this session or next. This increase in equipment for a broad educational program has been made possible through three sources of revenue. The School Improvement League has made and spent hundreds of dollars for books. maps. window shades, and other equipment. The faculty members, with the help of their pupils, have made money to add to the beauty, comfort. and efficiency of the school. The third source of help has been the loyal patrons and friends who made gifts to the school. Among these are: Mr. Geo. Robson. the MCT eod family, Mrs. W. A. Byerly. Mrs. Iohn S. Flory, Mrs. S. H. Marsh, Mrs. O. D. Garber, Mrs. D. B. Allen, Mrs. Winona Miller, Miss Leda Cline, Mr. George P. Furry, and Dr. W. L. Lineweaver. The Local School Board deserves a word of praise for the self-sacrific- ing work thev have done. They serve with no recompense except a sense of duty well done, they give of their time, strength, and often money for the good of the boys and girls of this community. . We have viewed the early days, we have recounted our growth in numbers, buildings. and equipment. Our plant is creditable but what of our product. This school graduated twenty in the three year course. six of these graduated from college. Of the 388 who com- pleted the four year course. about one-third have gone to college. Our percentage of the honor graduates from college is high. Bridgewater High School is proud of her young people. Teach, preaching, practicing law, home-making, farming, business, or whatever they are doing, it is seldom that we need feel ashamed. Our school has won honors in many fields of endeavor. Our teams have ranked high in athletics. In corn judging, they frequently excel. In debating, public speaking, and reading they have done well. One state championship was won in boys' reading contest for B class schools. Our admission to the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools we feel is our crowning achievement. The standards are high in this highest accrediting agency and to meet them is no mean accomplishment. Finally, we wish to pay tribute to that long line of teachers, patrons, and friends who have helped to make this school one of the leading schools of its class in this beloved Southland and to send echoing down the years a call for continued support that may lead to its greater glory. ,

Page 17 text:

., iW '0, ,ffm -' ': ' :P 4.131101 lull ' GL - so aw Finding Ourselves in Bridgewater Public School By LINA E. SANGER HE first permanent English settlement in the United States was made at f Jamestown, Virginia in the spring of 1607. A little more than a century qs' later, 1716, Spotswood and his friends made the famous expedition across Sei!! g Rockingham county. About ten years later 1726 or '27 a settlement was E made in the eastern part of our county. The real county was created by ,xg V ,J A law in 1777. These people who settled in this county were interested in education for their children. Efforts had been made to, establish free schools in the state but even if established, usually, only the poor attended them, There were private schools in the towns of the county as early as 1794, in Harrisonburg. There were community schools COld Field Schoolsj in the rural districts but when Bridgewater was incorporated in 1835 there was no public school, as we know them in the town. It is true that some state funds were spent by county authorities as early as 1826. Rockingham's share at that time was less than Sl,000. ' Between the close of the Civil War and 1870, Bridgewater had a school, likely private, taught in the old I, O. O. F, Hall, which stood where the present School Hall is. This school may be 'considered a beginning of the Bridgewater schools. VVhen the Public School System was put into operation in Virginia in the early '70's this school became a public school. A part of the pupils were taught in this building and others in the old Town Hall. ln 1873, there began in the house now occupied by Mr. George P. Furry and his family. The Valley Normal School. The principal was Professor Reichenbach, M. A., who had received his education in Europe. He was assisted by Prof. J. D. Bucher fafterwards Dr. Bucherj who had received a regular four years normal education in Pennsylvania. Prof. A. L. Funk was the third member of this faculty. During the first ses'ion of this school, the first school building was erected on the site of the present building. This was a two story, frame structure with four rooms. The Valley Normal School moved into its new home during the school session. It has not seemed possible to fix with any degree of certainty when the elementary pupils were brought into this building, but likely not until the Normal School ceased to exist in 1878. Dr. Ruffner, first State Superintendent of Public Instruction, states that this Normal School graduated the first teachers in the state. From 1878 to 1911, this frame building served to house the public school pupils of Bridgewater. The length of the session was five months if the funds held out. During the later part of this period the school term was increased, first to six, then seven months. There were four teachers in the school from 1901 to 1909. A fifth was added in 1910. There were frequent changes of principals and teachers during this period. Among the principals were: Prof. Geo. H. Hulvey, Messrs. M. A. Good, J. N. Fries, C. H. Beery, J. D. Miller, and J. S. McLeod. Other teachers were: Mrs. Geo. B. Holsinger, Mrs. Cyrus Cline, Mrs. J. Speck Lowman, Mrs. Mary Christman Fallis. Miss Mary Bowman, Miss Bessie Peck. Miss Myrta Minninch, Mrs. I. S. Mc'eod. One entire family taught in the school at sometime,-Mr. and Mrs. J. S. McLeod, and each of their three daughters. Miss Mary Hinegardner began her long period of faithful service in the school in 1901. By the later part of this period the old building, poorly lighted, heated, and ventilated was crowded to overflowing and some of the grades were taught in the 1. O. O. F. Hall. Through the effort of the Ashby District School Board of which Mr. D. C. Graham was chairman, a new brick building was erected in 1911. Some criticized this building as too large. It had six class rooms and an auditorium. .ffxxn .ii . l es my ,L the Blue Ridge to the banks of the river within the present bounds of L .il

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