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Williams Grove School |
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Evaluations of Accomplishments |
STORY OF THE QUILT SQUARE, WILLIAMS GROVE SCHOOL BY
AMBASSADOR EXTENSION HOMEMAKERS CLUB FOR THE HARNETT COUNTY HISTORICAL
QUILT, 1989. WILLIAMS GROVE SCHOOL Williams
Grove School was located about two miles east of the Town of Angier near
Williams Crossroad. It was built in 1892 on land owned by the late
Hughie Williams near the Benson Road, and was a two room building. The
first teachers were a Mr. Taylor, brother of Judge Floyd Taylor, his
sister, Alice Taylor, and Lela Morris. The school house was built by
donations of wood and some labor from people in the community. Mr.
Newbern Gardner had a sawmill that cut and sawed the donated trees into
lumber. The county then proceeded to provide funds for the construction
of the building. The
school term ran for four months, October through January, with only one
teacher each term in the beginning. Later on as the enrollment grew two
teachers were employed. The salary paid was $30.00 per month, later
$45.00. In the beginning there were 25-30 pupils, later increasing to
40-50. The school hours were from 8 am to 4 pm with one short recess in
the morning, 1 hour for lunch, and a short recess in the afternoon. On
Friday afternoons a spelling bee was held, and occasionally a community
gathering was held with a sale of pies and cakes donated by people in
the community. The proceeds from the sale went for the benefit of the
school. Parents were responsible for furnishing books and supplies to
their children. Some
other known teachers following the first named were John Q. Stephenson,
Sylvester Wilson, Harvey Stephenson, Mattie Stephenson, Mamie Williams,
Charlie Partin, Louise Rogerson, Craft Matthews and Nina Matthews.
Misses Rogerson, Matthews and Matthews were not local teachers, so they
boarded in homes near the school during the school term. Sometime
during December, 1925, the building caught fire, but luckily it was
discovered in time and was not destroyed. However, it was damaged to
such an extent the county decided it should be condemned and school no
longer was held in the building. At this time, students were transferred
to Angier. In
recent years plans were made to tear down the schoolhouse, but members
of the Ambassador Extension Homemakers Club initiated the idea of
restoring the Williams Grove School and with the help of the Town were
successful in acquiring the building and moving it into the Town of
Angier, April 1, 1975 to grounds donated by Mr. and Mrs. D.W. Denning,
Jr. It was named "Yesteryear Square". The school was restored,
is still standing, and may be seen by anyone who wishes. Much
of this information was furnished by W. Carlie Rambeau, who resided near
the building all his life and received his education at the school. Written by: Avis
Hall, member-Ambassador Extension Homemakers Club Quilt Square: Row
7, Number 35 Embroidery by:
Annie Lee Smith, member Ambassador Ext. Homemakers |
