Cherryville High School - Early History

Early History

The town's first public, permanent school building was constructed in 1892 on land donated by Mr. W.R. Carroll and Mr. M.L. Dellinger. It was located west/southwest of downtown, very near the intersection of West Academy Street and Dixie Streets in Cherryville and was a rectangular frame building with two floors and a front bell tower. The new building, facing east, was called The Cherryville Academy and was utilized for about 25 years until a much larger brick building was constructed in 1915 on East First Street.

In 1902 the Cherryville Township voted to levy a special tax against its citizens to publicly maintain a graded school, including the introduction of a high school. In the fall of 1908, the Cherryville Academy School officially passed the state requirements for graduating students following 11 years of formal instruction. It achieved this significant milestone, as a "North Carolina state high school", under the administration of Principal J.W. Strassell.