Vol. 1, No. 3 |
Saturday, August 1, 2015
It’s that time of year!
... and a little history lesson too! by Anne Fulcher It’s that time of year again, when families begin shopping for back to school supplies for their children. From kindergarteners to college seniors, our area has thousands getting ready to hear those school bells ring again. The GVW area has many of those houses of education where the teachers and school staff are busy preparing their schools for the influx of those in need of an education. But, education does not just happen in school; education also comes in many forms, from community education, individuals being educated on getting back into the workforce, to tutors helping students become better in their studies. This edition of the GVW Report looks at all the different levels of education available to our community. The Graniteville, Vaucluse, Warrenville area is steeped in history when it comes to two of the most historical school buildings in the state of South Carolina if not in the United States. It is believed that the first mandatory school in the United States sits at 103 Canal St. in Graniteville, South Carolina. The Graniteville Academy was constructed
William Gregg in 1847 when industrialist Mr. William Gregg began development of the village called Graniteville. Gregg believed that his employees would be served best with churches, a school and places for them to raise their families.
In 1848 the school opened its door to students through the sixth grade. William Gregg made it mandatory for all mill-worker children to attend school and if they did not, the employee-parents of the children were fined.
By 1853 the school was bursting at the seams and a high school was added in 1898 with the first graduating class in 1899. Beginning in 2012, the Graniteville Academy has housed the Megiddo Dream Station as an education resource for young and old alike. Leavelle McCampbell School was built in 1922 to relieve the overcrowding of the Graniteville Academy. Leavelle McCampbell was named for one of the board members and president of Graniteville Manufacturing. The school was renamed Graniteville High School in 1954 and included students from Vaucluse and Warrenville. In 1980 Graniteville High School was renamed Leavelle McCampbell Middle School after the merger of arch enemy high schools Graniteville High School and Langley-Bath-High School to form Midland Valley High School. Currently, plans are in place for a new Leavelle McCampbell Middle School to be built on Bettis Academy Road in Graniteville. Hopefully the historical Leavelle McCampbell Middle School will be restored and used as another educational resource for all of Aiken County.