History on a Stick with Michael C. Hardy

History on a Stick:

Lees-McRae College

By Michael C. Hardy

In the early 1900s, education, or the lack thereof, was brought to the forefront of many a debate. Children in North Carolina were behind, and some leaders sought to improve conditions. During the administration of Gov. Charles B. Aycock, more than 3,000 schoolhouses were constructed between 1900 and 1910. Yet there were still many areas underrepresented. Edgar Tufts, sent to start a Presbyterian church in Banner Elk (then called Banner’s Elk), saw such a need.

Tufts was teaching in the local school by 1896. But the terms were short—only a few weeks often in the summer. Soon, he opened a school in the winter months in his home. After much prayer and helpful donations, Tufts purchased a lot and began building. In September 1900, he opened the Elizabeth McRae Institute, a girl’s school. The name was soon changed to the Lees-McRae Institute, and the school was chartered by the state in 1907. There was a brief consideration to changing the name of the school after Woodrow Wilson sent a $25 donation in 1916, but the school decided to keep its name. After a fire consumed the Plumtree School for Boys in 1927, Lees-McRae became co-educational. In 1931, the school became Lees-McRae College, a two-year accredited junior college.

Tucked away in the mountains, the school has an impressive array of campus buildings. The Virginia and Tennessee residence halls are similarly constructed two-andone-half-story U-shaped buildings made of irregular stonework. The North Carolina building was originally an administration building constructed in 1922, but was later converted to classrooms. It is also made of stone and has a central tower. Another stone structure on campus is the Tufts Tower, a water tower that now houses the campus chimes. It doubled as a lookout for an Aircraft Warning Service post during World War II. Tate Residence Hall was originally the third Grace Hospital constructed in Banner Elk. When the hospital moved to a location east of town, the building was converted into housing. The original buildings have all been updated, and there are many modern buildings on campus.

Lees-McRae College is known as the “Campus in the Clouds,” largely due to sitting at an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level in the shadow of Beech Mountain. In 1987, the Board of Trustees voted to expand the two-year school to a four-year school, which was granted in June 1990. In 2018, the college added its first graduate program, a master of arts in secondary education. As of late 2021, Lees-McRae College offered 26 majors, 21 minors, and had 853 students from 20 states and 19 countries, along with one of the most beautiful college campuses in North Carolina. The summer theater program is outstanding, bringing together professional actors, dancers, and musicians alongside local volunteers.

The North Carolina Highway Historical Marker for Lees-McRae College was erected in 1993.