Piedmont High School - Summit Yearbook (Lawndale, NC)

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Piedmont High School Lawndale, N. G the dining-hall was remodeled. Yet, when the session opened and boys and girls began to arrive we found that we needed more room. The fact that it seems almost impossible to secure enough room for our students demonstrates clearly the wisdom of our plans and the soundness of our policy; not, perhaps, from a financial standpoint, but from the standpoint of doing the most good to the most people. A handsome building thirty by fifty, two stories high, was erected during the summer and it was ready for occupancy at the beginning of the session of 1909-1910. The lower story of this building is used as a boys’ dormitory. The upper story is used by the Musigmarhonian and the Pierian Literary Societies. On the seventh day of March, 1910, the main building, containing recitation rooms, dining-room, auditorium, Principal’s office and residence, girls’ dormitory, and one dormitory for boys, was destroyed by fire. As only two dormitories for boys and the society halls remained, it was impossible to continue our work, so the school was suspended for the remainder of the session. Major Schenck, the President of the Board of Trustees, called a meeting of the citizens and it was determined to re¬ build. The contract was let and work was begun at once. Sequestered student life gave place to the builder’s work. Girls, boys, teachers, study and examinations had given way to the carpenter, the mason and the tinner. Soon the wooded hill was resonant with the craftsman’s tool. Out of the ashes of the old was born a bigger and a better Piedmont. Out of the fire-fiend’s ruin, out of cherished, broken plans have come the fruition of broader foundations and the realization of higher ideals. Three handsome structures, more modern in construction than the old, more dormitory rooms, more recitation rooms, greater conveniences, water-works, a larger campus, larger play grounds and electric lights are the outcome of our terrible disaster. In all there are six buildings six

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History and Situation This School was established fifteen years ago. Under the generous patronage of the people, it has grown till it now not only numbers its students from the mountains to the seashore in this State, but others recognizing its merits have entrusted to its care their sons and daughters. In fact, its rapid growth ma de necessary larger buildings and ampler grounds. Seeing its needs, its friends rallied to its support, formed a joint-stock company, secured a charter from the Legislature, and commenced work in earnest. A large, conveniently arranged building was erected. Eight years ago it was found that we did not have room sufficient to accommodate our fast-growing patronage. The owners of the property added an annex thirty-two feet wide and forty feet long, two stories high. This addition to the first building, which was one hundred and thirty-two feet in length by thirty-two feet in width, two stories high, with verandas aggregating more than three hundred feet in length, gave our students ample room and comfort for these years. Five years ago at the beginning of the session it was found that our dormitory was taxed to its limit. The Trustees and the friends of the School once more made enlargement possible. A new building was completed. This new building, forty- eight by sixty-eight, two stories high, with a large base¬ ment, gave us a splendid dormitory for girls, with a large and conveniently arranged auditorium. Notwithstanding the great enlargement, it was soon found that our room was still insufficient; students were turned away for lack of room. This lack was met four years ago by the erection of another dormitory sufficient to accommodate forty more boys. Three years ago other improvements were made, new rooms were fitted up for the primary department, other recitation rooms were enlarged and

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Piedmont High School Lawndale, N C, on our campus. The main building, Schenck Hall, con¬ tains four well lighted and well ventilated recitation rooms, a dining room thirty-three by seventy, a kitchen with many conveniences, an office and rooms for the Principal and his family. The whole of the upper story of this building is used as a dormitory for girls. The next is a stately building containing the department of Music, the business school, the primary department and an auditorium fitted with raised seats and modern stage scenery. Its seating capacity is about nine hundred. The Waters ' Library building now in course of erection will be completed by the beginning of the next session. This building is the bequest of Miss Sallie Waters, erected in memory of her brother, Captain A. G. Waters, who was a brave Confederate soldier killed in the battle of Gains Mill, near Richmond, Virginia, June 27, 1862. The legacy was not sufficient for the building desired but the deficit was made up by Major PI. F. Schenck and Mr. John F. Schenck. The building, thirty by thirty-six, two stories, built of pressed brick, the smallest but the finest of our buildings, adorns the crest of the hill. It is a fit monument for one who gave life for native land—more appropriate by far than glistering marble or lofty granite. On May the seventeenth, the last day of our com¬ mencement, after an inspiring address by Honorable T. W. Bickett, Major H. F. Schenck, President of the Board of Trustees, presented the needs of the School to the audience, and asked for five thousand dollars to pay off the existing indebtedness, to paint the buildings and to install water-works. A wave of enthusiasm, such as is seldom seen when people are asked for money, passed over the audience. Wealthy men, boys and girls working their way through school, women and children, all caught the spirit of the hour. More than six thousand dollars was raised. The thanks of the school are due to the friends of the institution whose loyalty and liberality seven