The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Dec. 12, 1878 – “An effort is being made to establish a graded school in Chester. The trustees are: G.J. Patterson, E.T. Adkinson, and J.L. Agers. This group hopes to combine an amount raised by public taxation for schools with additional private funds. It is hoped that W.H. Witherow, Esq., the present Principal of the Chester Male Academy, would be the principal of the new graded school.”
On Jan. 16, 1879 the YV Enquirer reported – “Chester is determined to embark on the graded school system. There will be two graded school in Chester, one white and one colored. The white school will be at the Chester Male Academy with Mr. W.H. Witherow as Principal and teachers: Mrs. Margaret A. Bland, Ms. Bettie Killian, and Ms. Lizzie Cornwell. The colored school will have the Rev. S. Loomis as principal.” Later on Feb. 13 the school commissioner for Chester is the Rev. James E. White.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jul y21, 1886 – “At a meeting of the trustees of Mt. Zion, in Winnsboro, Prof. W.H. Witherow was elected as principal. He had formerly been principal of the Chester Graded School.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 28, 1886 – “Mr. Banks Thompson, who has for a long time been in charge of the Blackstock School, has been appointed Principal of the graded school in Chester. Mr. J. G. Baird, who has been Assistant at the Graded School is going to Leesville in Lexington Co., to take charge of a school there.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 29, 1886 – “The Chester Graded School began it’s session last Monday. The number of students is about 200 and the staff is: Mr. Banks Thompson, Mr. Robert Morrison, and several lady teachers.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Aug. 21, 1889 – “The Chester Graded School will have the following teachers this year: R.B. Cunningham, Joseph E. Edwards, Mrs. M.A. Bland, Mrs. F.T. Webb, and Ms. Annie Gott.” Later the paper recorded on Oct. 30, 1889 – “The site has been determined for the proposed new graded school. They have secured four acres on Brice Street southwest of the Baptist Church, free of charge.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on April 2, 1890 – “The board of trustees of the Chester School district, assisted by architect Mr. Frank Niernsee, selected the site for the proposed graded school, on the four acre site donated by C.H. Brice and Paul Hemphill. It will be on the elevation just across Tanyard Branch in the rear of the Baptist Church. A brick arch bridge will be built over the branch.”
City Directories and History: This very attractive public school, for whites only, at that time was constructed on College Street and shows then Superintendent, Mr. John L. Douglas (1862-1937), standing in front of the school.
Identifiable individuals include: Mr. ____ Cain, Jim Cornwell, Floyd White, Jim Philips, Hugh Patton, Monk Banks, Heyward Heyman, H. Collins, Thomas Brice, Jim Brice, Jim Patton, ____ Orr, Billy ____, John S. Stone, Julius Melton, and Fred Marks.
Chester Graded School in 1896 – Courtesy of the State Newspaper
Pictured below – right are members of the 1906 Chester High School class, seated (L-R) are; Malcolm L. Marion, Etta McCullough, Tellie Peay, Mary Hamilton, Annie May Pryor, Mary Lindsey, Julian Moffett, and Matte Brow. Standing are; John A. Marion, Will L. Murphy, Ethel Tennant, Curtis Cornwell, Patie Gage, Hamilton Henry, Ernest Isenhower, and Butler Woods.
The YV Enquirer reported on Sept. 10, 1890 – “The graded school has opened in Chester with 210 students. Prof. James Douglas and Mrs. Belle DeGraffinreid, is music teacher.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 10, 1890 – “Mr. Holler and Mr. Adams have established a brickyard near the Catawba River bridge, the Chester Graded School building and the Town Hall will be built of brick from that point.” (This contradicts the date of the image taken from the State Paper.)
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Feb. 10, 1892 – “Chester’s new public school building was opened last Monday. The site was donated by Hemphill and Hemphill and the cost of the building was $13,500. The building committee was; John C. McFadden, George W. Gage, and Rev. Dr. George Summey. The building will accommodate 450 students and includes recreation rooms and a chapel. It is heated by a hot air furnace.”
“The Chester Graded School, under the management of Prof. W. H. Witherow, won an enviable reputation as an educational institution. This reputation has been sustained by the learning and experience of Prof. Banks Thompson, the present principal of the institution. He is assisted by an excellent corps of teachers in the persons of Prof. Robert Morrison and Mrs. Bland, Mrs. Webb, Miss Katie Atkinson, and Miss Annie Gott. About two hundred pupils attended the graded school during the last session. At the final exercises they gave satisfactory evidence of the thoroughness of their instruction. Boys and girls are prepared here for the higher institutions of learning. Our town also has a good school for colored pupils. It has been for many years under the control of the Rev. Mr. Loomis, a Northern gentleman, who is assisted by his son, Mr. L. Loomis, and Prof. Green. This institution, in addition to the assistance received from the State, obtains a considerable sum every year from a Northern Presbyterian church. It possesses several good buildings and is prepared to accommodate boys and girls of color from a distance, as well as those at home.”
Reprinted from South Carolina in the 1880s: A Gazetteer by J.H. Moore, Sandlapper Publishing Company – 1989
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on June 20, 1878 – “Mr. Leverett Loomis of Chester is devoting his leisure time to the collection of birds. He has northern and western birds sent to him in exchange for southern birds. He has given considerable time to the study of birds and is well informed on the subject.”
Columbia State Paper – September 20, 1907
In 1891 Chester issued $14,000 in bonds and erected on College Street a commodious building for the white children. The building is two stories and there are ten grades. At present the high school and some of the lower grades occupy this building. When a pupil reaches the 10th grade he is ready for college and can enter the sophomore class at any college in the state. Owing to the increase in population of the city of Chester, in 1904, sold another $10,000 worth of bonds and erected another handsome school building on Foote Street. The seventh and some of the lower grades occupy this building, which is two-stories in height. The board of trustees is as follows: J. L. Glenn, chairman, E. A. Crawford, W. A. Corkill, J. H. Marion, L. D. Childs, T. H. White and J. C. McLure, secretary.
The faculty for the session 1907-08 is as follows: Superintendent, W. H. McNairy; high school, Miss Ethel Tennet, J. M. Ariail, J. S. Harris; seventh grade, W. B. Marion; sixth grade, Misses Janie Bums and Ida Todd; fifth grade, Miss Nellie B. Schorb; fourth grade, Misses Fannie Able and Josie Oates; second grade, Misses Kate McLure and Helen Walker; and first grade, Misses Mary Thomson and Barnette Spratt. (Courtesy of the CDGHS – Bulletin)
The Rock Hill Record reported on Dec. 21, 1908 – “Ms. Emma Roach, teacher of first grade at Rock Hill Graded School has resigned after having served over twenty years. The board has selected Ms. Nettie Spratt of Chester to teach the first grade. She is a graduate of Winthrop College and has taught the primary dept. of Chester Graded Schools for three years.”
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Early Chester High School. Image courtesy of the Davie Beard Collection – 2016
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