Staunton Military Academy - History

History

Charlestown Male Academy was founded in September 1860, by William Hartman Kable (1837-1912) at Charles Town, Jefferson County, Virginia (now West Virginia). At the start of the American Civil War William Kable joined the Confederate Army and served with distinction as a Captain in the 10th Virginia Cavalry (CSA). After the war, Captain Kable re-established his school at its original location. During this time period the school was known to the townspeople as The Kable School and its cadets were known as the "Kable boys".

In 1883, the school moved to Staunton, Virginia and became Staunton Male Academy. Captain Kable bought the site on the hill from a Mr. Alby, a prominent businessman. Acquisition of other large areas of land near the Alby estate continued until 1910. The school adopted the military system in 1886 and changed its name to Staunton Military Academy, or SMA, following by incorporation in 1893.

In 1900, Captain Kable turned over management of the school to his son, Colonel William Gibbs Kable (1872-1920). Colonel Kable proved to be very capable in school building and school management. He was a firm believer in advertising and used this medium extensively to bring the attention of the school to the public.

In November 1904, a fire destroyed the entire establishment, except for the founder's home and the old school hospital. Both barracks burned to the ground, but because of the brave and swift action of all involved, not a single life was lost. Following the fire, development of the campus was rapid: the South Barracks were completed in 214 days in 1905, the Mess Hall was constructed in 1913 on the site of the original mess hall, and the North Barracks were completed in 1918. By the 1930s, the campus also boasted Kable Hall, Memorial Hall, West Barracks, and the Superintendent's home.

In 1917, the Academy became an official unit of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) Program. Two Regular Army First Sergeants were assigned to provide military instruction. The school survived the Great Depression and later prospered, becoming one of the country's most prestigious military preparatory schools. Situated on the Hill with an enrollment that exceeded 600 cadets, SMA grew into a strong economic force in the Staunton community. In addition, the cadets often participated in parades at various occasions in Staunton and neighboring towns.

With the 1960s came a new generation, geared to permissiveness and nonconformity, rather than regimentation and discretion. The fallout from Vietnam helped perpetuate an anti-military sentiment that further eroded enrollments at military schools throughout the country. Despite the best efforts of a dedicated and talented faculty and staff, inflation and unemployment weakened the schools finances, in the early 1970s.

Faced with the prospect of bankruptcy, the Kable family elected to sell the academy. The new owner, Layne Loeffler, changed SMA's charter to non-profit status when he took over the school in 1973, but it was too late. The deteriorating situation, combined with management problems, forced the academy to close in 1976, some 116 years after its founding. Mary Baldwin College, SMA's longtime neighbor and "big sister" bought the property for $1.1 million in a bankruptcy sale.