When did the Perdue Hill High School officially close?

School building at Perdue Hill, Ala.

How long has it been since the high school at Perdue Hill closed? This is a question that came to mind earlier this week when I ran across an item about the old school on the front page of the May 21, 1896 edition of The Journal.

In that week’s paper, readers learned that on the night of May 23, there would be at the “city hall” at Perdue Hill, a contest for a medal to be awarded to the best orator among the advanced male students at Perdue Hill High School. On the following Friday night, the school planned to hold its “annual exhibition, consisting of charades, drills, etc.” Principal J.N. Ivey invited everyone to attend.

Elsewhere in that week’s paper, the school’s April honor roll was published. Honor roll students that month included Mattie Agee, Carrie Savage, Clara Coxwell, Mabel Pritchett, Murdock Norris, Willie Lambert, Sam Gaillard, Eddie Broughton, Irwin Frye, Willie Moore, Barbara Savage, Masie Moore, Ella Tuthill, Joe Shiff, Monroe Agee, Robert Thompson, William Marshall, J.S. Turberville, George Tuthill, Jennie Baggett, Viola Coxwell and Thomas English. Willie Lambert was the student with the highest general average, and J.S. Turberville had the second highest average.

Old editions of The Monroe Journal reflect that the Perdue Hill High School was first organized in 1886 with classes officially starting on Sept. 6, 1886. The principal at that time was W.M. Webb, a “gentleman of experience and well qualified for the duties of the profession.” The school was organized to prepare students for business or college.

Depending on what grade the student was in, tuition in 1886 ranged from $2 to $4 per month. Students had the option to board with the best of local families at low rates. An advertisement for the school said that the building was new, had access to pure water, received daily mail and was located near several churches.

By April 1888, a 17-member board of trustees had been established for the school. Those trustees included John Thames, J.A. Savage, N.D. Lambert, N.C. Thames, I.D. Roberts, J.R. Burgett Jr., J.S. Hines, H.J. Coxwell, A.C. Hixon, J.D. Frye, John M. Grimes, J.F. Gaillard, J.H. Moore Jr., J.M. Lowrey, H.H. Baggett, J.I. Ballard and S.M. Roberts. Burgett was president of the board, and John Thames was vice president.

In September 1888, a short news item noted that the school building would soon have two new rooms added to it, and the music room would be joined to the main building. That way, “all the work can be done under the same roof, without danger of exposure.”

W.M. Webb’s time as principal at Perdue Hill apparently came to an end in August 1889 when he was elected president of the college at Brundige. A short time later, it was announced the Prof. C.H. Florey had been selected to replace Webb. Florey was described as a “young man of much promise, and one who, by his integrity, Christian life, energy and perseverance, has already established a reputation as a scholarly Christian gentleman and successful educator.”

The history of this high school goes on and on, but I was unable to determine when it officially closed. References to graduation ceremonies there continued into at least 1911. If anyone in the reading audience has more information about this school, please let me know.