Schools - Page One

The origin and history of schools, public and private, in the Alderson community cannot be accurately traced. It's not known who conducted the first schools, or their locations. Certainly the first school teacher was the unknown teacher killed at Baughman’s Fort in 1755 by the Indians. He lost his scalp.

In an obituary of the Reverend Lewis A. Alderson in The Greenbrier Independent, September 29, 1881, it is stated that he was born May 5, 1812, at Palestine and that he attended an Academy there at an early age, for four years. There is no record of a school in this area that long ago, yet this proves there was one.

About 1809, the State of Virginia established the Literary Fund for the education of indigent children. In October 1818, Greenbrier Court records disclose that Lewis Stuart, Treasurer, had $290.03 for Greenbrier County to educate poor children; Two local men, of the many Commissioners, were Curtis Alderson and Joseph Alderson and money was appropriated to them to pay for schooling of such children. This Fund was continued for many years and was the subject of much bitterness between Eastern Virginia and Western Virginia.

The earliest schools were conducted in private homes taught by tutors, and paid by those who could afford them. There were also rude log schoolhouses known as "field schools", taught by tough old school masters who lived with the families of their pupils, and were paid by them, but these were not free schools.

The Literary Fund was allowed to raise money by lottery but it is not known whether or not this method was used in this area. The fund was not popular as parents and students felt ashamed to be virtually branded by being paupers by being educated from its money. In 1822-1823, Monroe County spent $429.25 at the rate of four cents a day for each poor pupil attending school.

Knowledge of early schools around Alderson is vague but it is known that there were a number of private schools. In the early years of the nineteenth century, John (River Jack) Alderson maintained a school where the Federal Reformatory is now located. It was taught by Jeremiah Stevens of New Hampshire, reputed to have been a fine educator, writer and historian. Before 1811, Joseph Alderson had a school in his home on the Wolf Creek Road, taught by his daughter Patty. About 1850(‘?) or earlier, Palestine Academy was located north of the Baptist Church on the property now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Lobban. This school was operated until about the beginning of the Civil War. It was taught by Oscar Stevenson. The Reverend J. A. Faulkner was also a teacher. Palestine Academy must have been a fine school. James Hines, later a well-known doctor, was a pupil, as were Jacob Lewis and George Alderson. The school stressed the classics, Greek and Latin, and gave performances of Shakespeare's plays.

In 1865 a Miss Brown had a school for young children in the Baptist church. There was in 1866 a little red schoolhouse on what is now the Reformatory property. Mrs. Rebecca Reed later conducted a school in the abandoned barroom of the Virginia Hotel which was where the Quillen Hardware is now located.

In 1876, the Reverend H. R. Laird, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, had a school in the old church. Later it was moved to a schoolhouse built in 1878 on the later site of the Lewis Banks home. Some of its students were members of the Hinchman, Beard, Mann, Hancock and Alderson families. This same school building was later used by the Baptist minister, Baylus Cade, for an Academy. Dr. Cary B. Johnson and James Prince taught there. Other early teachers in the community were James Smithson and John Hines. A Miss Converse operated a school for girls about 1890. It was known as Miss Converse’s School, and was located above the present location of Copeland’s Garage. During the nineties, Professor Goode had an Academy in the building later purchased by the Alderson Academy for its first classes.

The first large private school established in Alderson was under the auspices of the Methodist Church, South — Allegheny Collegiate Institute. Nat G. Barnhart, a former minister of the Methodist Church in Alderson, has written a history of the A.C.I. for West Virginia History Volume 18, April 1957, tracing the school’s life.

The minutes of Lewisburg District Conference from 1874 to 1921, according to the Reverend Barnhart, showed the Methodists were much interested in Christian education and in the establishment of a "District High School." Allegheny Collegiate Institute evidently was conceived by three men of Alderson, the Reverend J. H. Light, Chase Bare, and Frank Follansbee. The Reverend Light was the Methodist pastor in Alderson for two years, I888-1890. Mr. Bare was a leading man in Alderson for many years, and Mr. Follansbee a well known druggist.

The school opened for the fall term in 1888 and was the property of the Lewisburg District of the Methodist Church and depended upon the District for financial support. A joint stock company was formed and, along with several other schools and colleges in the South, Allegheny Collegiate Institute became a member of a "family" of Methodist educational institutions. The first Board of Trustees of fifteen men had but one trustee from Alderson, Dr. J. B. Spicer. At that time, the Methodist Church in Alderson was located on Church Street in South Alderson. The school was located at the base of the mountain in three buildings which were designed by Frank Follansbee. The first year there were fifty students and the school was a success. The District Conference of 1889 referred to it as "our District High School" The first principal was J. C. Dolly.

In 1890, for some unknown reason A.C.I. had been purchased by the Reverend Morris Evans, D.D., of the Kentucky Conference, who was principal until 1893. It is unfortunate that the first students or the first graduates of A.C.I. are not known.

In 1893 the school had a new principal, the Reverend C. A. Brown, who headed the school for three years, and in speeches before Methodist meetings in 1893 and 1894, referred to "my school at Alderson". In 1894 the District Conference was considering buying A.C.I. In 1896 Professor W. S. Anderson became principal. During these years A.C.I. must have been doing fairly well and enrollment increasing. Professor Anderson operated the school from 1896 to 1903. He was a splendid teacher, and afterwards taught at the University of Kentucky for many years. Apparently, during this period Professor Anderson owned the school but counted heavily upon the Methodists for at least moral support. Local people were on the Methodist Board of Education including C. D. Hanger, E. Chase Bare, and S. W. Anderson.

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The contents contained in this series is copyrighted and the sole property of The Greenbrier Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008