HISTORY OF EDUCATION IN WASHINGTON COUNTY TENNESSEE, 1780-1892 Settlers came to Washington County, the communities, was built on land donated by the first settlement west of the mountains, as early Campbell family. as 1760. In those early days, education was In 1835, Tennessee’s second constitution considered to be the responsibility of the charged the General Assembly to “cherish church and home, with learning a trade literature and science” and recognize that emphasized over a formal classical education. “Knowledge, learning, and virtue were Samuel Doak, one of these early settlers, was essential to the preservation of republic a Presbyterian minister and graduate of institutions.”2 Tennessee’s first state Princeton University. In 1780, he visited the superintendent of pubic instruction, Colonel Salem settlement, five miles west of Robert H. McEwen, formulated plans for Jonesborough. Founding a church and a statewide public instruction with funding school named Martin Academy. The Academy coming from the state. Unfortunately, the was granted a charter by the State of North General Assembly abolished the state Carolina in 1783, becoming the first organized superintendent’s office in 1844, naming the school west of the mountains. Twelve years state treasurer superintendent in the years later, in 1795, the academy became known as 1844 to 1867, and 1870 to 1872. Colonel Washington College, named for President McEwen’s vision of state funded public George Washington.1 instruction was abandoned. Jonesborough was established in 1779 and Not everyone was pleased with the became a part of Tennessee at statehood in common school education. The schools 1796. John Sevier, the first governor of established by the Legislature had suffered Tennessee, reached an agreement in 1806 with from a chronic lack of funds. Charles the United States Government for the title to Longmire presented a petition in 1851 to the thousands of acres of land. This land, known General Assembly asking the state to correct as the Hiwassee District, was to be sold by the inadequacy of common schools in Tennessee for the benefit of pubic education. Washington County and recommending that The land sale produced very little money, but the state amend the common school law to it provided the beginnings of a public school give school commissioners the authority to lay system for the state. The first law authorizing tax on each scholar [sic].3 When Andrew local taxes for the support of common schools Johnson was governor in 1853, he endorsed was passed in 1829, and in 1830, the State state-supported schools. Because of Johnson’s Legislature set up plans to distribute the funds efforts, the Legislature passed an act in 1854 gained from the Hiwassee District land sale. establishing Tennessee’s first state tax for Schools were established in each county after public schools. land had been secured. Private and subscription schools were Washington County deeds recorded widespread in the 1800s with learning between 1830 and 1860 include a few land provided for those who could afford to pay deeds designated for these common schools. tuition. In a subscription school, the An 1845 notice in the Jonesborough Whig schoolmaster contracted with a number of newspaper advertised political candidates families to teach certain subjects for a set speaking at Brown’s School in Telford and tuition rate for a specified time. In 1802 in Campbell’s School in Bowmantown. Brown’s Washington County, Phillip Denham School was built on land sold to the county in contracted with a number of families to teach 1830. Campbell’s School, located midway spelling, reading, writing, and ciphering for a between the Oakland and Bowman term of one year at an area now known as Oak Hill School Teacher’s Resource and Curriculum Guide 1 Johnson City. The original agreement can be subscription schools, Franklin Academy and found in Johnson City’s Science Hill High a school held in Boones Creek Christian School library. Church. These schools were very small. John C. Harris recorded a private or Causing community leaders to establish the subscription school in Jonesborough in 1812, Boones Creek Seminary, for which Lawrence near First Street and Woodrow Avenue. Other Bowers donated the land in 1851. Boones earlier subscription schools may have Creek Seminary’s tuition was twelve dollars existed, but no records have been found. The per session, with students studying Latin, Hebron Presbyterian Church moved to Greek, logic, morals, and criticism. Other Jonesborough in 1816 and built an early subscription schools of record in Washington subscription school called Martin Academy County are “The Seminary” and the McLin (not to be confused with Doak’s Martin School. “The Seminary,” a one-room brick Academy, now Washington College). The building, was built in 1842 in the Fall Branch Academy was in a two-story brick building community. Records show that Mr. J. R. Lane one block off Main Street, with classrooms for was contracted in 1851 by thirteen families to the boys on the upper level and worship space teach at the McLin School, located on McLin on the lower level. This building was used Bend of Big Limestone Creek. until 1841 when John Green deeded two acres The Civil War and its aftermath caused the of land for the sum of two hundred dollars, for closing of female schools in Jonesborough and a new two-story brick building. The Odd the opening of schools for freed slaves. Fellows and Masons took over Martin Jonesborough’s Martin Academy was used as Academy in the late 1840s as a public service a military barracks and nearly destroyed by project. war’s end. Holston Female Institute was sold The women of Jonesborough took an to Colonel R. H. Dungan, becoming Holston interest in private education early on with Mrs. Male Institute or the Dungan School, (The Stephenson opening a school for female Odd Fellows High School closed, leaving students in 1820. In 1828, Mrs. Howard Jonesborough with no school for girls.) Other (probably the wife of newspaper publisher and Washington County schools also showed the print shop owner Jacob Howard) operated a effects of the war as Fall Branch’s original school for young ladies; and, in 1837, Mrs. Seminary building was destroyed and many Catherine Emmerson established a small other schools in the county closed due to school for young children on Woodrow severe war damage. The Boones Creek Avenue. On a larger scale, the Jonesborough Seminary survived several attempts to burn it Female Academy was established in 1833 and down during the war. Two of the few area offered a comprehensive course of instruction subscription schools that remained open for girls. during the Civil War were Laurel Hill The Odd Fellows Lodge purchased the Academy in Broylesville and Franklin original Martin Academy property in 1852. Academy in Telford. After building an elaborate two-story brick In all probability, the first school for black building, they united with the Jonesborough children in Washington County was started in Female Academy and opened Odd Fellows 1867 by Mr. Judson at Mt. Zion. In 1875, the High School. In 1856, Holston Female Society of Friends (Quakers) established Institute opened in the Jonesborough Baptist Warner Institute in Jonesborough as a school Church and remained until funds were raised for freed blacks. This was located in the to move the school into a two-story brick building formerly operated as Dungan School. building on East Main Street. Langston School, in Johnson’s Depot, began Other areas of Washington County also in the 1860s. Dr. Hezekiah Hankal, a established subscription schools. The Boones physician and minister, and Professor Wolfe Creek Community had two small were instrumental in starting the drive for a Oak Hill School Teacher’s Resource and Curriculum Guide 2 school building program to house the the overall operation of the schools. The increasing black population in Johnson City. length of the school term depended on how In 1889, their school was held in Johnson well the director managed the funds, and there City’s Main Street Christian Church. In 1891 were no standard textbooks or starting and and ’92, while the new building was being closing dates. In 1886, during this era of constructed, the school met in the two Baptist public school expansion, Oak Hill School was churches. built. Many other school buildings also Johnson’s Depot, later called Johnson appeared in Washington County, thus City, was established in 1858 with the advent providing an education available to all. of the railroad system. School buildings were constructed but there was no formal attempt at public education for the small community. A 1 History of Washington College Academy, Washington College Academy web page: http://www.wca- group called the “Science Hill Debating pvt.com/#history 2 Society” organized in 1864 at Oak Grove and History of Education in Tennessee, Tennessee met for a time in a school located on Roan Hill Department of Education web page: http://www.state.tn.us.education/edhist.htm and at a school in the Brush Creek-Cedar 3 History of Washington County Tennessee 1988 Valley area. After Tipton Jobe donated several (1988). Watauga Association of Genealogists Upper East Tennessee page 63. acres of land for a new school building, Science Hill Seminary was built and its doors opened in 1868. The name Johnson’s Depot was changed Johnson City, and by 1892 there were several school buildings. But much of the growth of education in Johnson City occurred after 1892. The Martha Wilder School, on East Myrtle Street, was built on land given by General John T. Wilder and named for his wife. Columbus Powell on South Roan Street was built on land given by J.