The Robert E. Lee School Building ~ Remodeled

Lee School Building Remodeled for Arts Academy

By Daniel Williams
P-I Staff Writer

After about 150 years of education, and 25 more years as the home of the administration of the Paris Special School District, the Lee School building faced a very uncertain future.

In 2001, PSSD moved moved its administration offices to the current location on Highway 641 south in Paris and had no plans for the building.

Three years later, the building is set to begin its first semester as the site of the Lee Academy of the Arts, a visual and performing arts school established by the Lee School Association.

The preservation of the building came up in a conversation at a Doughters of the American Revolution Christmas party in 2000.

An interested group migrated together after the party and formed the association.

With Suzanne Richter, Mary June Sinnema and Ray Harding spear-heading the effort, the group applied for a state charter and tax-exempt status that allowed them to apply for state grants.

The association acquired the deed to the property in October 2002 and proceeded with a "stabilizing" project.

Leaks in the roof were repaired, pigeons were removed, gutters were repaired and the building sealed to prevent animals from getting inside.

As early as May 2002 the group was still undecided on how to proceed with restoring the school. Members couldn't find common grounds on what kind of establishment the building was going to become.

"We knew we had to establish something that was going to benefit Henry County," Harding said. "Something the community needed, but didn't already have," Ms. Richter added.

"I was in favor of an expansion of the public library," Ms. Richter continued. "But that costs money, and we needed someone to help with those funds."

The group had students from Middle Tennessee State University perform a feasibility study which offered several inspirations.

The one that stuck out the most was an academy for the arts.

A $10,000 donation by an anonymous donor for an art school, plus $5,000 for programs the first year and more money to come on an annual basis sealed the deal.

After a great deal of paper work, The Lee School Association began major renovations on two rooms and two restrooms, plus it built a new restroom accessible to persons with a handicap in one of the old cloak rooms.

Work done on the two restrooms includes cleaning and replacement of carpet and plaster and individual heating and air conditioning units for each room.

The windows, telephone lines and security system are to be installed before classes begin.

A third room used, used as an office by Jan Mitchell, who was the supervisor of administrative and support services for PSSD at the time, is already in good shape.

According to Harding, the room, which is smaller than the two newly renovated rooms, may be used as a music room for private lessons.

A piano was donated to the academy by Jodi Kemp, and will be used for private lessons.

"It is very important we start now," Ms. Richter said. "We need to build momentum while we have people's interest and engery levels are still high.

"It might be too late by the time we get everything completely ready."

The academy just received a $25,000 grant, the maximum possible dollar amount from the Tennessee Historical Commision. The money will go toward further upgrades to the building.

"We want to go ahead and renovate 4 more classrooms and the hall," Harding said. We also need to replace the wiring, which will be very costly."

Harding said the group is eyeing two large rooms upstairs that would make excellent dance studios.

Those upgrades could begin in late summer, after the first semester of classes ends. Renovations would be completed in time for another semester to begin in late September or early October.

The Lee School Association has already spent between $40,000-$50,000 on the school with another $25,000 coming in grant money.

State law regulates the grant money has to be matched with $17,000 of the association's own money, bringing the total of the grant to $41,000.

"Our theory on the grant is that the THC won't want to leave a project unfinished," Ms. Richter said, "so we will be soon be applying for another $25,000 that we expect to get."

Money from future grants and donations will be used to further renovate the school. The building has a total of 16 large classrooms and an 1,800-square-foot cafeteria building.
Currently only three rooms are operational.

For more information about the project, or to make donations to The Lee School Association, call the school building at 642-3411.