The Old Fayette County High
Does anyone remember the old high school?
I’m talking about the one that burned in the early fifties.
It was located on the lot where the Fayette County Board of
Education is now. This was where I went to high school and
graduated in 1950.
There were not many high school students back then. In fact
there were only fifty-nine in my graduating class. Although
there were only twelve or thirteen classrooms in the whole
building, there was enough room to also house all of the
sixth and seventh grade elementary school children from the
Fayetteville area.
When I was in the sixth grade the building had a hallway
that extended the length of the building with student
restrooms at each end. About half way down the hallway was
a large auditorium that extended toward the city cemetery.
The auditorium had a large stage with small dressing rooms
on each side. The big black stage curtain was made of a
heavy velveteen material that had the school’s initials
FCHS printed on it in gold. Permanent seats filled the
room. The two back rows nearest the hallway were elevated
creating a small wall about five feet high. We often had
chapel here with all of the students (sixth through
eleventh grades). I can remember going to the auditorium to
listen to President Truman’s speech live on radio. Mr.
Owens the principal told us to listen for the phrase,
“civil rights”. He said this would be a phrase that we
would hear many more times in our lives. I had no idea what
the phrase meant and it was some time before I did. The
auditorium also served as the hub of the county’s large
group activities such as movies, plays, and gospel
singings. There was also a large entrance that opened from
the hallway toward town. This was considered the front door
even though it did not face the road.
There was also a building that housed the agricultural and
homemaking departments. This building still stands at the
back of the parking lot of the Board of Education. When the
school burned this part was not harmed. It was built by the
NYA, a group created by the Roosevelt administration during
the big depression to train young men for employment while
giving them a paying job. There was a machine shop and a
community canning plant in the basement operated by the
NYA. The WPA another government program to help give people
employment built a large gymnasium which burned in 1951.
During World War II the government built a large metal
building where people (mainly women and men not eligible
for the armed forces) could be trained in industrial type
metal working so they could participate in the war effort.
Mr. Homer Neely was the instructor. After the War Mr. Neely
was employed by the school system to teach what was called
“shop” for the high school boys using this same building
and its equipment. I believe a part of this building still
exists.
There was a huge baseball field out back which was not only
used by the school but by local teams and as the county
fair grounds. There was a wooden fence that surrounded it
and a good sized spectator stand with a shelter.
I hope someone remembers this place for that’s about all
that remains. It served the community well and was very
special to many citizens.
