Draft:North Wilkesboro City Schools

Despite the Board Minutes being destroyed in the Great Flood of 1916, there is some information about the beginning years of the school district.^[2]

Due to a petition signed by many citizens of North Wilkesboro in October 1892, Wilkes County Board of Education ordered a new school district to be formed within the limits of North Wilkesboro in January 1893. They appointed L. Harris, E.S. Blair, and B. Church as committeemen.^[2]

The first school in the school district was located on D Street and 3rd Street and was built in 1892. The Winston Land and Improvement Company wanted to sell it to North Wilkesboro, but they refused to buy it. Due to disagreements about the school, the school had to move to a new location. Town commissioners and the County Board of Education paid rent to the Winston Land and Improvement Company for a school building for some years, and temporary buildings were used at varying times.

The school was described to be one to three rooms in size originally. An additional back part was added later on. The rooms had sliding partitions, making it possible to have a small auditorium when needed.^[2]

In 1905, North Wilkesboro City Schools was chartered by the legislature of North Carolina under the name of "NORTH WILKESBORO GRADED SCHOOL". The special charter stated that all the land within the corporate limits of the city must be a school district for white and colored students. The charter was the only North Carolina with religious provisions, stating that six citizens must be elected as school trustees, with no more than two members being of the same faith. Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians all had two members each on the board.^[3]

In 1913, the construction of an ultramodern brick school on the corners of D Street and 3rd Street started. The building had eleven large classrooms, one smaller classroom for Seniors, an office, an auditorium with seating of almost 500, a full basement, a long, wide hall where banquets and receptions were held, and it was equipped with steam heating. While the school was under contruction, school was held in various temporary locations, like the local Exhibit hall, Opera house, and a Baptist church.^[3][4]

After North Wilkesboro High School and Wilkesboro High School consolidated into Wilkes Central High School in 1952, the building was renamed to North Wilkesboro Elementary School.^[5] The old school is now known as the Benton Hall, and is now home to the Wilkes Playmakers.^[6][7]

Up until 1924, the same building was being used for primary and grammar grades, along with high school. The classes were getting so overcrowded that some grades had to have double sessions. A committee appeared before the Board offering support and urging the need for a new building. This resulted in the construction of a new school building on E Street, directly north of the D Street building, for grades 6-11.^[4] The building has since been destroyed.^[7]

Listed below were the superintendents of North Wilkesboro City Schools from 1906 to 1975:^[8]