Kittrell High School, 1926-1972

KITTRELL HIGH SCHOOL 1926-1972 was on the same site. On July 1, 1927, Mollie Tilford, J. O. and Verna Abernathy, Mrs. L. D. Bowling, Bertha Puryear, and Mrs. J. P. Gilley deeded to the County Board of Education
one acre. The Rutherford County School Commission was deeded 2.91 acres by J. H. Davenport and wife Bertha May on September 28, 1948, and 5 acres by Clairborne J. Harrell and wife Flossie on July 26, 1963.

The old frame building was replaced by a brick building consisting of ten rooms and an auditorium. In 1927 a gymnasium was built partially from lumber from the old building. It was soon replaced by a $3,000 gymnasium
through contributions of money and labor from the citizens of the community. In 1948 an agriculture room and shop were built by the county, and in 1953 an annex of four rooms, for grades one through four. Later were added an annex for home economics; typing and shorthand; a modern
cafeteria; and an agriculture and manual arts building. An annex of six rooms accommodated the middle grades.

Principals have been Mr. Frank Bass, 1925-1928, followed by Ross Shelton, Clyde Riggs, James Woodfin, Thomas Holden, Raymond Youree, Esten Macon, David Youree, under whom the school became a Grade A school in 1953, R. V. Reynolds, E. W. Fox, and Thomas Tenpenny, 1970-1972. Billy
Summers, an alumnus of the school, has been principal since 1972.

Teachers of long tenure have been Jack Jarrett, 38 years, Ann McIntosh 35, Virginia Hall 31, Katherine Youree 31, Ruby Cates Sanford 30+, Maggie Lowe 30, and Ruby McKnight 28. Some of the other teachers not mentioned
elsewhere were Mattie Lowe McFarlin, Sallie Dement Evans, Elizabeth Youree, Nancy McNabb, Oma McNabb, Nell Lannhom, Violet Ognio, Martha Jarratt, James Byrd, Martha Moon Holmes, Sandell Dalton McCrary, and Mary Harris.

KITTRELL has compiled an impressive number of basket ball records: in 1926 Cranor Youree made Ripley’s “Believe It or Not’ by making a basket from goal to goal against Brush Creek on an outdoor court; the boys went to the state tournament in 1939, 1961, 1962, and 1963; in 1963 Jimmy Montgomery broke the state scoring record with 4,013 points; in 1971 and 1972 the girls went to the state finals.

In 1972 Connie Vance was selected MVP in the State Tournament. Coaches throughout the years included Sadie McMahan, coach of the 1930 champion girls team, Oscar Baskin, Frank Bass, Jack Jarrett, Kenneth Coiston, Deward
“Foots” Compton, Bob Burden, and Ben Cates.

The Rutherford Square Dancers had their beginning at KITTRELL under Steve Cates. A graves registry program became the foundation for the publication of three volumes of family cemetery records by the Sons of the
American Revolution. The school was strong in 4-H Club work.

In 1972 the high school was consolidated with the new RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL and KITTRELL reverted to a K-8 grade school.

SOURCES: Deed Book 31, p. 236; Book 61, p. 421; Book 71, p. 277; Book 102, p. 489; Book 102, p. 524; Book 149, p. 352. “Kittrell Trac.es History to Decade before CW,” The Daily News Journal, Nov. 13, 1963, p. 9. *Gene Sloan, “Back before the War,” The Daily News Journal Accent, April 17, 1977. Files kept at KITTRELL SCHOOL. *Mary Hall. *Robert Abernathy. *Lurleen Carnahan McCrary. *Mary McKnight Manley. *Maggie Lowe Good. *Mary Garvin.

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