Concord School (Eagleville), 1871-1910

CONCORD SCHOOL f 1. 1871-1910 was located on land given by Charles Blackman “Kit” Farris, a Methodist Circuit Rider, and by Dr. J. O. Sharber for building a church and a school. It was across from the present Concord Methodist Church. The 1878 Beers Map shows Concord Church on the northeast corner of the intersection of State Road 99 and Concord Road.

The building was a large two-storied structure with the school on the first floor and church services held on the second. Later, a lean-to was added to the east side for small children. Large red cedar logs were used in the building.

Some of the teachers were: Professor Finney in 1871, Clara Jackson, Flora Jackson, Ellen Brown, Susie Steagall, Mary Marlin, Lillie Kerr, Mr. Harrell, John Franklin Kinnins, John Woodfin, Eugene Hollowell, and Fannie Giles. Dora Rooker and Bell Martin were the last two.

An early student was Maud Ethel Smotherman Garrett who married on Feb. 14, 1900, when she was 21 years old. She started to school at CONCORD. Some other family names of students were Jackson, Canton, Williams, Wilson, Manning, Hudson, Rowland, and Nance.

The school was not graded. Classes were primary and secondary. On March 1, 1909, the Trustees of M. E. Church South deeded to the Educational Board of Rutherford County the house and lot known as Concord Church. The school closed in 1910 when the students of CONCORD were sent to ROCKVALE.

On August 13, 1910, the Rutherford County Board of Education signed a deed for one acre to the Trustees of Concord Church of M. E. Church South, F. P. Love, W. M. Stegall, J. F. Love, Dr. E. T. Gray, J. S. Gray, J. R. Jackson,
and J. P. Puckett.

The schoolhouse later burned.

SOURCES: Deed Book 61, p. 20; Book 117, p. 410. Horace Burns, “Concord,” in the Rutherford County Historical Society files, under “Schools.” R. Fred Nance and John W. Nance, comp., The History of Versailles, the Tenth District and Its People Murfreesboro: RCHS, 1983 . “Rockvale School Founding ‘Hazy,” The Daily News Journal, Nov. 13, 1963, p. 14. Interview,
Jan. 18, 1985, with Holt Garrett, b. Feb. 8, 1901, who started school here when he was five and attended for two years. He was the son of Maud Ethel Smotherman Garrett. *Carrie Wheelhouse Mitchell, whose aunt Bettie Haynes, b. 1863, married Eugene Hollowell.

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