HOLLOWAY HIGH SCHOOL BLACK 1929-1968 was built on the east side of South Highland Street. It was dedicated in December 1929 and was named in honor of E. C. Holloway who worked for the establishment of the school. The school served both city and county students.
On April 27, 1929, Florence Burrus Vaughn sold land to the City of Murfreesboro to be used as a school; and on August 20, 1929, Joe Alexander, grantor and manager of the Rutherford County Colored Fair property, deeded to the City of Murfreesboro a parcel on the west end of the Fair grounds and on the south end of South Highland. The land was “to be used for school purposes and occupied by colored people.”
On June 29, 1939, S. G. Green, a Trustee, et al., deeded to the City of Murfreesboro six acres for the Colored Fair. Then on September 26, 1949, the heirs of Florence Burrus Vaughn sold to the city the property which they had inherited.
On October 25, 1951, the City of Murfreesboro deeded to the Rutherford County School Commission Holloway High School and the Fair properties, 10.65 acres. G. K. Kersey and wife Inez H. Sold to the Rutherford County School Commission on March 23, 1964 their property on Highland and Castle which adjoined HOLLOWAY; and on April 10, 1964, the City of
Murfreesboro sold to the Commission a parcel of land which adjoined the school.
HOLLOWAY HIGH SCHOOL absorbed the BRADLEY three-year high school department which P. S. Jones had organized in 1918 and which had become a four-year department in 1924 under S. G. Greene. The BRADLEY high school department had been meeting in the rented three-room Benevolent Lodge Hall on East State Street.
The brick building, which was erected at a cost of $20,400, contained a cafeteria, a library, and classrooms which served the high school enrollment, grades 7-12, of 140 students. In 1930, a $2400 workshop of three rooms was added. In 1947, an annex was built to house the 6th grade from BRADLEY and the 7th and 8th grades from HOLLOWAY. In 1952, there were built a modern gymnasium and five classrooms. Remodeled were class rooms, the cafeteria-library area, home economics and business
classrooms, and the principal’s office. The library holdings were increased. In 1964 an annex of classrooms was built on the south end.
Principals were S. G. Greene, 1928-1949; J. H. Stevens, 1949-1964; Collier R. Woods, 1964-1968.
Among the teachers were William Butler, Ida Boyd, Garivin Kersey, Inez Kersey, Pearlie M. Martin, James Caidwell, Estella Reynolds, D. W. Roberts, W. A. Rogers, Erna I. Jackson, Kathrine Watson, Dorothy Stevens, M. L. Gordon, Lula B. Pope, Mary Greene, Sallie Howse, Rosa Doyle, Felix Wade, L. C. Batson, Mrs. E. J. Overton, Alcie Blackwell, Sophia Kinnard, Robert S. Hardin, James Hall, Anita Robinson, James E. Henry, James E. Hall, Lula Pope, Jennie Lee Jackson, Joe Vaughn, Elnora Martin, and Kittie Waters.
In 1934, HOLLOWAY was a Class A school and, in 1935, became a member of Southern Association. By 1948, the school had lost its accreditation in Southern Association and was a Class B school. In 1953, it was again state accredited and in 1954 again became a member of S. A. Active student organizations besides the Trojan and Trojanette athletic teams were the Glee Club, Office Workers, Library Club, Assembly Guides, Cheerleaders, New Farmers of America, New Homemakers of America, Band, Le Cercie Francais, and National Honor Society. The Flash, Holloway Highlights,
and The Trojanite were student publications.
In 1964, members of the 9th grade class were voluntarily integrated with the 9th grade of CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL. By 1968, grades 9-12 had been integrated and HOLLOWAY HIGH SCHOOL BLACK closed.
Graduates of HOLLOWAY have entered all walks of life. They are doctors, ministers, teachers, lawyers, business men, secretaries, and farmers.
From 1968-1972, the buildings were used as CENTRAL ANNEX with offerings chiefly of a vocational nature. Since no subject was duplicated on the two campuses, a shuttle bus carried students from one to the other. A few students, the Resource children and those who required remedial work, remained at the ANNEX throughout the day as did also the teachers.
Collier Woods was principal at the ANNEX.
The original part of the building has now been torn down.
SOURCES: Deed Book 74 pp. 195, 196; p. 471; Book 104, P. 45 Book 110, p. 68. *Homer Pittard, “Holloway School has Steady Growth,” Nov. 13, 1963, p. 25. Holloway High, Feb. 7, 1948, p. 5. *J. H. Stevens. *Collier Woods. *Robert Butler, d. April 5, 1986.