Scotts Hill High School - Lion Yearbook (Scotts Hill, TN)

Page 12 text:

This ”monstrosity of a gymnasium” was erected by donated labor and materials in 1920. The construc¬ tion of supporting sections for the roof proved to be too much for local carpenters. An old Negro man who had experience in such buildings was brought in from Linden to supervise the job. His huge wooden beams were looked upon here as an engineering mas¬ terpiece . This is a view of the first gymnasium after ’Modern¬ izing” mostly by larger boys of the school. Com¬ pleted in 1934 locker, dre ssing and toilet facilities had been provided in extensions to the back end of the building. Water for baths and toilets came from large steel tanks atop big posts, caught from rain water and carried to the tank by gutters. During off- basketball seasons, many men and boys of the twon came for baths to the boy’s dressing room. This became so popular later that women and girls came also to utilize the girls’ showers! The indoor toilets were the school’s first and were among the first ever seen in the area. tinued to make improvements, have been: John Murphy, 1935-39; J. O. Conwell, 1939-45; Jesse B. Austin, 1945-51; A. L. Sparks, 1951-52; Frank Rains, 1952-63; Lealon Wyatt, 1963-67; Wayne Stanfill, 67-70; Dock Woody, 1970 till the present. (Jerry Ivey was Princi¬ pal most of 1973-74.) In their own quarters during the last quarter-century, the athletic, home economics and agriculture departments of our school almost merit separate stories. The first gymnasium, without dressing rooms, baths, lockers or even toilets, was a mon¬ strous ”shang-hi” structure built wholly by local labor and donated lumber. On cold nights the crowds would huddle around two huge pot-bellied, wood-burning stoves to watch the usually hotly contested basketball games. Those who lacked the 100 to 150 admission, often watched through the big cracks in the walls! During Turner’s principalship, his Manual Training Boys spent a year weatherboarding and painting the gymnasium; installing windows around the top; adding locker rooms, bathing facilities and toilets (Scotts Hill’s first such modern facilities!) Then in 1950 a beautiful modem gymnasium was erected - still in use. 1950-Present 1964-Present

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This the ’’fine new” concrete block school house that replaced the ’’red brick” structure in 1925-26. The orig¬ inal building contained only the center section. The two-room ’’wing” on the right was added in 1928-29; that on the left, in 1932-33. An auditorium and stage were in the rear and the auditorium contained an ’’orchestra pit. ” Senior high school status began in the fall of 1927 and the first class graduated here in 1929. Perry Murphy was Principal. A. C. Tarlton became Principal of the grade school. Teachers named above helped out with new life on every side, following the war. Efforts began to provide still larger quarters for the ever-growing enrollment, and for the possible addition of the eleventh and twelfth grades for a senior high school. Rural schools were being consolidated and there was a general demand for a larger, better school plant here. By 1925-26, an eight-classroom concrete building was ready for occupancy and upper classes moved to it, with the brick building still used for lower grades, for the new cafeteria and for agriculture classes a little later. Cecil Milam was added to the faculty in the 1920’s as was Pauline Eason, two teachers that deserve fullest honor for their long successful years in the classroom before they retired. It was Powers and Milam largely who led the efforts for a senior high school. Senior high school status was approved by our county boards of education and by state authorities to be effective at the start of school in the Fall of 1927. Perry Murphy came back as Principal. Other high school teachers were: Ira Powers and Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Jones. The first four-year class graduated on March 29, 1929. The class flower was the pink carnation; class colors, green and white; the class motto, ’’And ? Now?” Officers were: Oren Lockhart, Pres.; Vaught Grissom, Vice-Pres.; Mildred Brasher, Sec.; and Ernest Rhodes, Treas. Fellow classmates were: Bertie and Myrtle Turner, Ruil Milam, Coyd Kel¬ ley, Jimmie Patterson, Floyd Attaway, Haywood and Clyde Smith, Edna Mitchell, Roy Tucker, Grady Brasher and Exie McCollum. Succeeding Murphy in 1931 as principal was Gordon H. Turner who, with perfect student, faculty and community cooperation, made improvements which merited the state’s highest grade for its size, at year’s end. New classrooms were added; a P.T.A. organization was formed; a splendid small library was set up; the campus was terraced and planted; a small Ag. shop was erected and equipped; and the old gymnasium was much improved. Principals after Turner, each of whom, with faculty, community and student help, con- 9

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The History of Scotts Hill by Gordon H. Turner, Sr. Micajah ( Cager”) Scott 1787-1853 Scotts Hill was named for him; he was its first merchant and was progenitor of the many early Scotts of the area. The present cafeteria was built during the 1950 ' s, which also housed in one end, the home economics department. This department was moved in 1958-59 to the older Church of Christ building which was bought for the purpose and connection to the new school plant (The Church of Christ moved to its new building erected on the former Dr. Wylie homesite, which lot was donated for the church building after Dr. and Mrs. Wylie died - 1958 - by their son’s family, the Dr. Paul E. Wylies.) The modern agriculture building was completed in the early 1950 ' s. Our present magnificent (main) school building replaced the time-worn concrete block house in 1964-65. It has every device for safety, convenience and comfort. Principal Dock Woody with a staff of 41 teachers and helpers, is advancing fast to the ultimate in quality education. It would take a long chapter to tell of our present school. But this very Yearbook (1976) does at least partial justice to it with names, pictures and activity description. In 1825 Charles Austin and a few friends from Anson County, North Carolina, rode their horses into the woods a mile and a half from the western edge of what was later to be Scotts Hill.