This
abbreviated Henry County schools history information is an excerpt from
the Henry County History Book ~ Copyright 1996
by Charles Cate
The Paris Academy was chartered Nov. 29, 1825, later becoming
Paris Male Academy and
finally Paris High School. It is on or near the site of the present Robert E. Lee School
building and may have been the first free school in Paris. The first class of children in
Tennessee to receive educational advantages, at public expense were children orphaned
because of the War of 1812.
Among early private academies in Paris and Henry County were: Spring Hill Male and
Fe-
male near Whitlock. The school started in 1829. It became a part of the public system in
1880. Other academies were Paris Female Institute, College of Paris, attended by early
citizens like: Mrs. W.D. Looney, Mrs. Henry McNeill, Mrs. J.F. Aden and Mrs. J.R. Aden.
Many students later moved to Paris Female Seminary Academy when the academy burned.
Professor T.H.M. Hunter who had been principal at the academy became a teacher at PFS.
Other teachers included: R.E. Moss, a Vanderbilt University graduate; Betty Osborne and
Allie Johnson. Moss later became a teacher at McCampbell-Thomason School located on the
Nashville Chattanooga & St. Louis Railroad. Many students had to walk the track to
reach the school.
Lee School officially replaced Paris Male Academy Aug. 30, 1848. The builder was John
Oury and trustees were: J.H. Dunlap, J.H. Travis, M.C. Bowles, J.B. Williams, William A.
Tharpe, J.W. Blanton and William Fitzgerald.
The New Boston Academy opened March 2, 1854, as did Union Academy. The Odd Fellows Female
Institute was founded by Buena Vista Lodge No. 56, April 23, 1854, on the corner of
McNeill and Market streets. The gong on the town clock at the courthouse was once the
school bell in the Odd Fellows Institute.
In 1870 Mrs. S.H. Welch moved to Paris and established the private Welch High School on
Poplar Street. Students roomed and boarded in Mrs. Welch's home next to the school where
J.W. Travis lived. Programs refer to school events held over the McNeill-Lang Store where
Livingston Wholesale was later located at Poplar and Ruff streets.
Public education began in Paris in 1881 at the present site of Robert E. Lee School. Until
1889 there were only eight grades in Paris public schools. In 1890 the state General
Assembly enacted a new law creating a 10 year school at Paris. The school became known as
City High School.
In 1895 Fairview School was built in the old 23rd District.
Joe Routon, one of the county's masterful educators, served as county superintendent from
1900-1938. During his long administration, high
schools were established at all major communities. They included Como Academy, Cottage
Grove High School, Puryear High School and Mansfield Academy.
In 1906 E.W. Grove endowed a gift of $80,000 for a county high school. E.W. Grove
High School opened in September 1906 with classes held in the circuit court room. At the
time it was believed that Grove was the only public endowed school in the United States.
In 1915 Atkins-Porter became the second public school, grades 5-8 to open in Paris, the
first principal being Clara Roach. Until 1919 the schools of Paris were operated under a
joint city-county arrangement. That year Paris Special School District was created,
providing increased revenue. Later Fairview City School was added to the system. In
September 1921 the first black public school in Paris opened as Henry County
Training School.
From 1944-48 Mary Sue Dunn served as superintendent, becoming the first to serve under
a new four-year term. The county appropriated the money to build the school bus garage in
her tenure.
In 1969, despite heavy opposition from rural communities, the Board of Education closed
the seven county high schools, consolidating them into Henry County High. The decades also
saw the closing of Robert E. Lee School and construction of two new elementary schools,
Rhea and Inman. |
