Schools of a For
er Day
Itoforc the
ц«'Ш‘га1
cslahlisliiiinil of our
liigli schools. >orili C'nrolino had scores of
private schools anil academies. Mr. Lau¬
rence lists some of the heifer
к
noun ones
in this article*.
GHOSTS of dead academics hov¬
er around every county in tin*
State. For a century this was
the |Hi|>ular type of school; here were
educated the professional ami busi-
ни»
men of the Stale; here our moth¬
ers acquired Imth learning ami the
social grad's. In Connor's history it
is stated that prior to
182.'».
ITT acad¬
emic. Were chartered in tin* State,
every county having at least one ex¬
cept Person. Ashe and Columbus. It
may l»c of interest to note that all
these academies were for boys except
thirteen.
With the ri»e of the public school
system and the development of its
high schools, these private schools
largely passed away, but they were
once a mighty force in ( 'arnlina. There
were so many of them that we can
only glance at a few and make brief
comment on some of the more famous.
Caldwell's Academy
Among the earliest ueademies were
those conducted by Kev. David (’aid-
well, in Guilford County, said to
have I ■■en at once, "an academy, a
college ami a theological seminary."
Here were trained Governors John
M. More Imad and A. M. Scales.
Liberty Hall (formerly Queen’s
Museum) of charlotte was the fir-t
literary institution to receive a char¬
ter at the llllllds of the State.
Another famous school of the revo¬
lutionary era was Clio's in Iredell
County, of which Kev. James Hall
was master. Only a little later came
Dr. Charles Harris, of Cabarrus
County, who conducted the first med¬
ical school in the State, where IKS
students were trained ill medicine.
There was Poplar Tent in Cabar¬
rus; Xewton Academy where Gov¬
ernor David L. Swain was trained;
Pleasant Carden in (iuilford; the
private school of Prof. F. S. Wilkin¬
son at Tarboro; that of John Ghost
Klliott in Sampson; Warrenton
Academy which graduated Weldon X.
Kd ward». Congressman, Speaker of
the Senate, outstanding public man of
his day; Kncford Academy which
graduated Dr. J. I*. Monroe, father
tt II. C. LA wit unci:
... m • ••
of t he Xorth Carolina Medical Col¬
lege at Charlotte.
Military Schools
Let Us glance at a few of the many
military schools once so popular in
the State. Included in these wen the
Donaldson Military Academy at Fay¬
etteville; Rutherford Military Arad-
emv which made such a recoid under
Captain W. T. R. Bell; the Davi-
Military School at LnGrungc; Kelly's
Military School near Carthage;
Xorth Carolina Military Academy at
Red Springs; Carolina Military Acad¬
emy at Charlotte whence graduated
W. Carey Dowd, eminent editor, Dr.
R. L. Gibbon, eminent physician and
other notable men.
There wa- the famous Quakenhtish
Academy at Laurinhurg. covered in a
recent article in Tit» Statk; A.hpoh-
Institute ill RoU'-Oll, whence gradu¬
ated Prof. Join. R. Carlyle of Wake
Forest; Atlantic Collegiate I ■■•titiit*-
at Elizabeth City, which did such ex¬
cellent work under Prof. S. L. Sheep;
Turlington Institute at Shi it h field ;
Haywood Institute at Clyde, and many
others. There wa» im more outstand¬
ing school of this ty|H- than Frey and
Morson's. later Morson and Denson's
at Raleigh, ami from this school was
IT'S BE VOW II IS
Last Thursday wo sent a let¬
ter to Mr. Lawrence, suggest¬
ing that he write on article on
North Carolina schools that had
passed out of the picture.
Friday evening, the accom¬
panying article was mailed
from Lumberton. He not only
lists the schools but he tells who
graduated from each.
How in the world the man
got his store of information and
knowledge is beyond us. — C. G.
graduated a whole host of men wlm
Inter rose to prominence in tlm life
of the State.
The two famous law school* of a
«
Wt.'
that is dead have passed nwav. hilt
nearly all the older generation of law¬
yers received their professional train¬
ing at one or the other: Richmond
Hill, school conducted |»y Chief Jll*
tiev Richmond XI. Pearson: the -chool
of Dick and Dillard at Gnt'li'boro.
Schools for Girls
Let u* now look nt a few of the
schools for girls which have pa**ed
away. The academy at Warrenton wa*
a very ancient one. headed by Jacob
Mordccai. who moved to Warrenton
from Richmond, and kept "a large
ami respectable female school." Of a
later date, hut with tin enviable rec¬
ord. was the famous Xasli and Kollock
school for girls at IlilUlmro.
Floral College was flic oldest wom¬
an’s college in Carolina which was
authorized to grant degree*, and the
present Flora Macdonald College may
in truth he said to it* daughter, in
1880 Janes H. Norwood desired a
professorship in llani|Mlcii-Sydiicy
College, and i have liefore inc the
original letters of recommendation
which he secured from Joseph Cald¬
well. first president of the ITiivei*ity;
David L. Swain. Governor and Fni
versitv President; Thomas L. Cling
man. Congressman and Confederate
General: Rev. Elisha Mitchell, pro¬
fessor of geology who lost his life sur¬
veying Mount Mitchell; William
Hooper, son of a signer of the Decla¬
ration of 1 ndcpciidcncc, later Presi¬
dent of Wake Forest. At a Inter date
Mr. X or wood took chargt of A*lm-
villc Female College. At a 'till Intel
date this passed under the . . I ml of
Juntos Atkins, who
1н'слшс
a llishop
of the Methodist Church.
prof. F. P. Ilobgood for many
year.*, with conspicuous ability ami
‘IICC-SS. conducted Oxford Female
Seminary, and it seem, to me that of
all Carolina towns wlmry t lie academy
type of school flourished, it. l.-.t rep¬
resentative* were Oxford and Hill.
1и»го.
Oxford once had the fauioii*
(I'uhlinurtl on riaklrr,,)
7
