The first documented formal school in Elizabethton was Duffield Academy which was formed in 1809 as a requirement of the State Academy Act of 1806 (September 13,1806). It was the first public school in our area and was named after George Duffield, a prominent lawyer in the area. There were approximately 30 students enrolled in the school the first year and an annual tuition of $5 to $7 dollars was required. Only male students were allowed to attend.

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     In the 1830’s, the first female school was formed and was located on Main Street in Elizabethton. This was a private school. In 1852 a state law was passed that required public schools to be offed to both male and female students in order to receive federal funding. Harold-McCormick Presbyterian Private School was formed which was endowed by Mrs. McCormick in memory of her son Harold. This school was originally intended as a feeder school for Tusculum College. The Harold-McCormick School building was sold to two gentlemen by the names of T. A. Dugger and E. C. Alexander. In turn, the school was sold to the city of Elizabethton to be used as a public school. Started as a two-room school in 1921 (one upstairs and one downstairs), Harold-McCormick was used for public schooling for white male and female students. Public education was not offered to black residents at this time.

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    There were black schools in operation in 1884 in Roan Mountain, Happy Valley, Gap Creek, Elizabethton, Hampton and Watauga. A school for the black community was started in the early 1890s in the Cat Island community of Elizabethton. The one-room school was taught by Lizzie Patton. In 1894 a black pastor by the name of W.A.C. Breedlove came to the area and taught for the next 40 years.

 

In 1901, the great Doe River flood destroyed the school and operations were moved to an existing building on the Douglas property. The school was named Douglas School after Fredrick Douglas and was a black only school. This school was added to the Elizabethton school system in 1925.

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Paralleling these events, the Duffield Academy was taken over by the City of Elizabethton in 1922.

 

In 1908 “City High School” opened on Lynn Avenue in Elizabethton. This school taught grades 1-12 and although it was in the city, it was run by the county. The first High School graduate in Elizabethton was Grace Grossman who graduated in 1910 (3-year degree). In 1915 the first 4-year diploma was granted.

 

In 1925 the first designated High School was built on Doe Avenue and accommodated grades 9 through 12. In 1942 a new and bigger High School was built on “E” Street and the old school on Doe Ave. was turned into the “City Jr. High School”.

 

Shortly after moving the high school to the new building, the student body petitioned the city to build a football stadium which was completed in 1946. Integration of black and white students began in 1960 and full integration occurred in 1965. The high school would remain in this building until 1973.

 

Construction began on the current High School building in 1970 by the J. I. Cornett Construction Company with expectations of moving into the new complex at the beginning of the 1973-74 school year. Due to some unforeseen issues and a leaking roof, both the T. A. Dugger and EHS students started their year in their current buildings with the move scheduled over the Christmas holiday of 1973. On JAN 3 of 1974 EHS students walked into the new facility for the first time. T. A. Dugger Jr. High was also moved during the Christmas break and those students finished their school year in the “E” St. building where the Jr. High remains today.

 

The first class to graduate from the new facility named Elizabethton Comprehensive High was the EHS class of ’74 which only addended one semester there. The first graduating class to spend all 4 years in the new facility was the EHS Class of ‘78.

 

The current facility continues to be upgraded with the addition of a new band room, new onsite stadium complex and upgraded track and softball field. Other improvements are in the planning stages.

 

Below are links to other Elizabethton High School historical facts.

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Editors Note: The first time an EHS team was referenced as "Cyclones" was in a newspaper article on JAN 27, 1927 where the girls basketball team was referenced as the "Betsy Flashers" and the boys basketball team was called the "Betsytown Cyclones".

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