City Directories and History: The Yorkville Enquirer reported on July 8, 1880 – “A new two story building is being erected on the Academy lot. The first floor will be used as a school and the second floor as the Masonic Lodge.” Also, on Jan. 8, 1880 – “Mr. J.A. Wilson will take charge of the Academy at Clover.”
The Yorkville Enquier of Sept. 8, 1881 reported – “The editor visited Gold Hill, where the closing exercises of Mrs. Bettis’s School were held.”
On Dec. 22, 1881 the Yorkville Enquirer reported – “The Clover Academy has closed it’s session. Mr. J.A. Wilson is retiring from the school and will be replace by Mr. J.A. Boyd. Ms. Addie M. Diehl will remain as assistant.”
On Jan. 5, 1882 the Yorkville Enquirer reported – “Mr. J.A. Wilson and his sister, Ms. Mattie have left the hotel and have moved into their new house just built on Kings Mountain Street.” The paper also contained an ad for the – “Clover Academy, which is for boys and girls. The principal is J.A. Boyd and his assistant is Ms. Addie H. Diehl. The next session commences in Jan., boys and girls are prepared for college or supplied with a business education. Students can board for a fee of $10., per month.” Later on June 1, 1882 the YK Enquirer reported – “The Clover Academy closed its session with examinations. Ms. A.M. Diehl, the able assistant, is now on a visit to her relatives and friends at New Windsor, Maryland.”
The Rock Hill Herald of Aug. 12, 1899 reported – “Prof. J.A. Tate has been elected principal of the Clover School.”
Courtesy of the AFLLC Collection – 2017 Mrs. M.H. Mett’s Home and School
Many of the images related to York County’s schools can be viewed by clicking on Historic School Images page. Also many of the school photographs are placed on early SC DOT maps to link their specific old county locations.
The images shown here were taken in York County between ca. 1935-1952. Each has been provided courtesy of the South Carolina Dept. of Archives and History. R&R many not reproduce these images but individual photographs may be requested via the SCDAH at: 
http://archives.sc.gov/researchrequest/Pages/default.aspx The School Insurance Photographs, ca. 1935-1952 series at the South Carolina Archives and History Center includes photographs made between ca. 1935 and 1952 of approximately 2,600 schools in South Carolina. The photographs were made by the Sinking Fund Commission, a state agency that inspected and provided insurance for public schools. The collection includes both African American and white schools for most counties in the state. Enjoy viewing these images and take a minute to provide a comment (found at the bottom of the page), on their history or location by referring to a specific school name. Data on the school, teachers, construction, etc., will be collected and used to build individual page for each school. You may also share additional photographs via the Share Link or digitize them and mail them directly to Roots and Recall, instructions are found on the Share Link. Your input is critical to the continued building of York County’s homeplace history site and much of the data users share with R&R is shared with professional institutions for research purposes. Click on this link for extensive information on Rosenwald School histories in South Carolina.
Also see Group II School Images
YORK COUNTY EXTINCT SCHOOLS (One of many projections of the Museum of Education at the University of South Carolina is the collection of information on what they term “extinct schools” across South Carolina. From their Web listing we have extracted the ones they have designated as York County and have added a few we know about that they do not have. We are certain that there are more that should be added and invite our readers to send in those they know of that are not in this list and also to make any needed corrections such as an error we found which shows they have “Flint Hall,” which should be “Flint Hill” and they listed Pleasant Valley Academy and Riverside School as being in York County when they should have been listed as Lancaster County schools. Additional information is also welcomed. Those that we have added are marked with an asterisk*. A1937 Master of Arts thesis by Eula B. Thomasson, Winthrop College, 1937, “Cultural Factors in the History of York County,” has furnished the names of a number of schools. We have marked these as (ET)
Name Place Date(s)______________________________________(a =after; b = before)
Allison Creek School – Allison Creek 1885
Baptist High School – York/Yorkville
Beersheba Academy (ET)
Beersheba (near Rock Hill) b1870
Bethel Academy
Bethel 1782-a1870
Bethesda School
Bethesda 1806-
Bethlehem Parochial School-African-American b1913
Blairsville Academy 1800s
Blairsville School-African American
Raineytown b1913; 1928-1950s
Blairsville School
Sharon/York 1924-1928
Brattonsville Female Seminary
Brattonsville 1830-1860
Brattonsville Male Academy
Brattonsville 1830-1840s
Bullocks Creek Academy
Bullocks Creek 1787 – a1867
Catawba School (ET)
Catawba Junction 1889
Central Elementary School Rock Hill a 1920
Chestnut Academy (ET) near Yorkville 1878
Clinton Normal and Industrial College – Rock Hill 1894-a1915
Clover Academy – Clover 1875-a 1887
Currell’s School (ET) 1860s
Ebenezer Academy – Ebenezer 1819-1888
Garrison School (ET) upper Fort Mill township
F. A. Gilbert’s School (ET) Fort Mill – 1879
Flint Hill School – Fort Mill Township b. 1851
Fort Mill Academy – Fort Mill 1808; *!857; *1875- a 1880
Foundation Church School-African American
Franklin Institute-African American 1840-1860s
Fresh Air School of Winthrop College – Rock Hill 1911
Friendship Normal & Industrial – Rock Hill 1911
Gaines School (ET) – Yorkville 1866-1867
George Fish School-African-American – Fort Mill 1924-
Gold Hill Academy – Fort Mill township 1859-*1935
Ira Irwin’s School (ET) – near Bethel Church 1843-a1874
Jefferson Graded School-African-American – Yorkville b 1904
J.G. Blum’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1865
John G. Enloe’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1865
Kings Mountain Military Academy – Yorkville 1855-1868
Langham Academy (ET) – Langham Branch 1858
Lathan & Harrison Male School (ET) – Yorkville 1874
Liberty Hill (ET) – Fort Mill
Magnolia B.P.L. Institute – Sharon 1893, YCGHS—September 2003 34
Massey School – Doby Bridge Rd, Fort Mill 1892-1929
McKeown’s School (ET) 1887
Miss Annie Rawlinson’s School (ET) 1885
Miss (Nettie H.) Dickson’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1888
Mrs. Dicey Homeys School (ET) – Yorkville bef 1859
Miss Emma Roach’s School (ET) – Rock Hill bef 1887
Miss Fannie Miller’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1880-1890s
Miss Isabel Miller’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1875
Miss Margaret A. Gist School (ET) – Yorkville 1884-1887
Miss Margaret A. Grier’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1887
Miss Peck’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1888
Miss Reid’s School (ET) – Fort Mill 1876-a 1879
Mrs. Alexander’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1881
Mrs. McLean’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1874
Mrs. M. H. Metts’ School (ET) – Yorkville 1880
Mrs. W. H. Hackett’s School – Yorkville 1862-1863
(South Carolina) Miller’s School – b 1859
Neely’s Creek School (ET) – Neely’s Creek 1886
Olivet Male Academy – McConnellsville b 1859
Philip P. Mazych’s School – Yorkville 1866
Pine Grove Academy – Rock Hill 1865-a 1887
Presbyterian High School – Rock Hill 1894-
Presbyterian Parochial School-African-American – Rock Hill a 1913
Reynolds School (ET) 1863
Rockville Male Academy – b1856
S. C. Miller’s School – Yorkville 1859
St. Paul’s School-African-American – Rock Hill b 1915
Santiago School – York 1903
Shurley School – Gold Hill, Fort Mill 1845 – 1846
Unity Academy 1823-
The Village School – 1789
Watson’s Private Male School – Yorkville 1873
W. A. Moore’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1866
Watts’ School – Fort Mill 1854-
William Currell’s School (ET) – Yorkville 1868-
Winthrop Experimental Rural School – Rock Hill 1911-
Winthrop Training School – Rock Hill 1912-
Yorkville Brick Academy – Yorkville 1830s
Yorkville High School – Yorkville 1854-a 1884
Yorkville Male Academy – Yorkville 1886
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
I was a student at Sharon Grammer School and Sharon High School…wonderful pictures and memories.
The picture of Lesslie School is tagged as an African American with a spelling of Leslie. I attended this school the first year it was opened in the second grade. It was not an African American School. The present Lesslie School was opened as Hillcrest around 1952 as an African American school.
Thank you so very much for correcting this data. We will make the clarification. Know that the original individual giving names to the schools was from Columbia, S.C. in the period between 1935-52 and may not have been familiar with the school’s spelling which can indeed be spelled either way. Again, R&R will make the changes.
I ATTENDED BETHEL SCHOOL, YORK CO. SECOND THRU SEVENTH GRADE, WONDERFUL MEMORIES, THAT WAS 1948 AND FOLLOWING. WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANY OF THEM
I attended Cotton Belt School from 1941 to 1948. I was wondering; When it closed as a school, what happened to and where could I find School Report Cards from this period?
My grandmother was principal of the Pine Bluff School, better known as “The Timber”. My mother, who turned 96 in 2017, and four of her sisters attended this school located in the Bethel section of Clover.
Thank you for your data. Please provide their names and any additional information – pictures!
I am trying to find out what school my father attended in Fort Mill SC or York SC he was born in 1932. His name is David W. Adams.