William King High School - Midget Yearbook (Abingdon, VA)

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Milestones William King was born in Ireland and came to America at the age of fifteen. He re- ceived a legacy of 100 pounds from his grandmother and with this set out to make his fortune as a pedlar. His success was rapid and he established stores along his route of travel and was certain to stock them well with the goods which the people of his day would purchase. He built the first brick house in Abingdon which is still standing on Court Street. In his will he left $10,000 either in money or land to establish a school for boys. The one other man besides William King who made his mark in education in Abingdon was William Webb. Described as a very small man, with a face round as a moon and eyes of jet black, talkative, lively and intelligent and bold as the king of the beasts when aroused . . . this was the first school master of Abingdon. His school was built at the head of Black’s mill pond, south of the present Nor- folk and Western Railway; the ground was the floor and the boys sat on hewn slabs placed on forks in the ground and their writing desk was made in the same manner. In 1786 or 1789 another school was built in the location of the present Sinking Spring Cemetary and here school was conducted until the organization of Abingdon Male Academy. Abingdon Academy was opened in the Masonic Hall which is at the site of the Washington County jail in 1803 and continued there until 1820. William King ' s will was probated December 20, 1808 and it was found that he had made a provision for the Academy. He had been very interested in the Academy and since he had received a good English Education prior to his coming to this country, he realized the importance of education and by his provision to the Academy he rendered a service to the many generations of students who trudged up William King hill during the years of their education. 6

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Cave House Vance ' s Tavern Formerly home of General Francis Preston, Martha Washington College for girls for nearly 75 years, now Martha Washington Inn. Abingdon Town Hall and Home of Barter Theatre 5

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Along the • • • In the fall of the year 1812, the following ad appeared in the ’’Political Prospect, the Abingdon newspaper of that time. ABINGDON ACADEMY The trustees of this institution have the happiness to announce to the friends of Erudition, that the muses are about to pour out their treasures from the Pierian Spring in this Seminary. To the American Youth who thirst for literary requirements, they offer draughts of; LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE Under The REV. THOMAS ERSKINE BIRCH, WHOSE TALENTS as a preceptor have been so universally authenticated that any encomium is unnecessary. In 1824 a contract was let to build a brick academy, to cost $2,000; it was completed in 1827 and was reported to be one of the best school buildings in Western Virginia at the time. The first principal of the Academy in its new location was William Ewing and during his administration the attendance was considerable and the Academy prosperous. 7