HENDERSONVILLE SCHOOL CLOSES MAY 25th.

The Hendersonville school will close its session Friday night of this week with appropriate exercises at the school building.  There are two graduates, Misses Naomi Trowell and Elizabeth White.  R. M. Jefferies will deliver the address to the graduates.

Source: Press & Standard 23 May, 1923, Page 1.

25 July, 1923

WORK BEGINS ON HENDERSONVILLE SCHOOL

Work began Monday, 23 July on the new Hendersonville school building to replace the one burned a few weeks ago.  This building will cost between $7,000 and $8,000 and will be of wood.  It will contain four class rooms with auditorium up stairs.  Care has been exercised in those plans to provide against fire hazard, and it will be two stair building.

Editors Note:  This same article reported an expansion of many other schools in the county, under the headline, "School Building on a Big Boom."

Source: Press & Standard 25 July, 1923, Page 1.

HENDERSONVILLE WILL BEGIN SCHOOL SOON

Prof. B. W. Hunt, principal of the Hendersonville school, announced that the new school building will doubtless be ready for occupancy this week.  The furniture and desks have been ordered and should arrive in time to have the opening exercises on Monday, Sept, 17th.  Prof. Hunt says that they are delighted with the rapid progress made by Contractor D. C. L. Hires, who has done this work in about seven weeks.  Unless the desks are delayed in delivery the school will begin on the 17th.  The faculty for the year will be Prof. Hunt, principal, Miss Emily Sloman, Mrs H. J. Trowell, Mrs Ida Lee Speights, assistants. 

Source:  Press & Standard 5 Sep, 1923, Page 1.

Hendersonville School Program

The Hendersonville high school graduation will begin Sunday, June first, when the Rev. H. L. Spell of Summerville, will deliver the baccalaureate sermon at the school auditorium.  The speaker will be Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh of Varnville.  The graduates are Betty Alice Benton, Gerusha G. Breland, Coye C. Crosby, Sarah R. Jenness, Margaret Virginia Lemacks, Ransom D. Marvin, Jr. Eve Nettles, Ramona Nettles, Jack R. Searson. Jr. Bridie E. Smoak and Mary Kathryn Snead.

Source: Scrapbook of Margie Nettles, Class of 1955 and Clipping from Press & Standard.

February, 1974

Arsonist Struck the Hendersonville High School Twice.

Sunday morning at 2:30 AM February 17, 1974 the city and rural fire departments received a call to the school and minimum damage was done the the building.  The following Tuesday night at 11:30 PM February 19, 1974 the fire departments received another call to the school but this time the glow from the fire was visible when we turned on the Hendersonville Highway and the school was a total loss, reported fire department personnel.

Source: Margie Nettles, as copied from the Press & Standard.

29 May, 1959

B. W. HUNT TO RETIRE AFTER 40 YEARS IN SCHOOLS

The dean of Colleton County school teachers will retire this year after 40 years of teaching in the county schools.  For the past 40 years, B. W. Hunt has served as principal of Hendersonville High School.

Twice previously Mr. Hunt was to retire, but due to the shortage of trained teachers he continued to teach.  This time is for good, he said.

Mr. Hunt came to Colleton County after graduating from College in Tennessee.  His first position was at Stokes graded school which then ran an eight month term and had grades one through 10 with a three teacher faculty.  For two years he served as principal there, prior to entering the U. S. Army in 1918.  After serving in the army he returned to the county and became principal of the Hendersonville Schools.

Mr. Hunt married Miss Viola Anderson of Walterboro and Hendersonville while in the army.  They had met before he left for this tour of duty.  A daughter, the present Mrs. James Ilderton of North Charleston was the only child.  One of Mr. Hunt's biggest hobbies is his granddaughter, Gail Ilderton, an 11 year old student in North Charleston.

During his tenure of office many changes have taken place and yet Mr. Hunt said that the basis methods of teaching have remained the same with only the books and teaching aids being different.  He has served under four county superintendents of education, the late Hugo Strickland, J. J. Padgett, R. A. Durham and the present superintendent, C. Moye Padgett.

During this time Mr. Hunt has served under many trustees. C. H. Boynton and P. A. Sloman both served for over 35 years as trustees for the Hendersonville schools.  Other men who have served as trustees include: Dr. S. L. Turner, J. H. Hamlin, T. S. Boynton, O. A. Speights, E. E. Register, and J. D. Boynton.

Mr Hunt stated that he has had very cordial relations with the present superintendent of District 2, R. A. Mobley and the district board of trustees.  Members of this board are: B. George Price 3rd, chairman, W. E. Durham A. G. Kiser, J. D. Boynton and Mrs. J. K. Dodd Jr.

Many teachers have taught in the Hendersonville Schools, Married while there and are now citizens of the county.  Some of these were: Mr. Earl Durham, Mrs. J. I. Thomas, Mrs. J. D. Boynton, Mrs. Elmer Carter, Mrs. Hamlin Searson, and Mrs. Melvin Marvin.  All are still teaching or associated with the county schools, with the exception of Mrs. Thomas.  One other former teacher, Mrs. H. M. Kinsey, retired last year after teaching for 30 years in the Hendersonville schools.

The building the Hendersonville schools occupied when Mr. Hunt came to the school was burned in 1923.  It was replaced with the existing wooden frame building which has six classrooms and two stories.  While the building was being rebuilt school was conducted in homes in the village.  At that time there were five teachers, including Mr. Hunt.  They were Mrs. Lottie Trowell, Mrs. Emily Sloman, Mrs. Henry Givens and Mrs. T. E. Drew.

Now there are 12 teachers in the schools, with the highest number being 13 in the1952-53 school year.  A twelve grade school is operated and offers the basic subjects of english, mathematics, history plus agriculture, business courses, home economics, civics, problems of democracy, general science, biology and music.  Mr. Hunt said that this school offered an excellent course of instruction for the number of teachers.

Through the years baseball has been the strong athletic team at this school.  For several years the school had a basket ball teach which was dropped due to a lack of interest.  This year's baseball team has followed the traditions of the past.

In 1928 the 11th grade was added.  Prior to this the school, like the others in the county, had only 10 grades.  The last change in the number of years was in 1949-50 when the 12th grade was added throughout the state.

Not only active in the school affairs of the county, he has taken an active part in the community affairs.  A member of the Hendersonville Methodist Church, for about 10 years he served as superintendent of the Sunday School.  Also he is a member of the Masons, and the American Legion. For a number of years he was on the county board of education.

Source: Press & Standard, 29 May, 1959, Page 1.