June 24, 2022 Coats Museum News
Here’s hoping you have enjoyed your paper journey into the history of the early schools in Grove Township. The point of the articles was to inform you that the Coats High School was not the only school to lose its identity because of consolidation which in turn meant that most of the original Grove District School houses are no longer in existence. Were it not for the Coats School Reunion Project in 1985 and the last Coats High School yearbook in 1985, there would be very little preserved written history of those schools.
Had it not been for Marie Salmon to encourage me in 1985 to write the history of the Grove Schools, I would never have tackled the overwhelming task of researching and pleading for information from a limited number of former students who had attended some of those old schools.
When writing “There and Back on a Paper Canoe” in 2003-05 for the Coats Centennial History Book Project for the Coats Museum, my living room in 1985 had been filled with county and state public school records, notes from interviews, sheets of paper with bits and pieces of information about the old schools. A telephone and phone book were close by to call dozens of people whose names were shared as the search for the school history began.
The end product that you have been reading is far from being perfect. Dates and names are remembered differently by some who were interviewed and the memories did not always match the public documents. Would I spend hundreds of hours doing this school research and writing again? That is a no brainer. When one is hungry, a piece of stale bread tastes delicious.
My father-in-law, Howard Lentis Sorrell, Sr., was a grandson of William Richard Sorrell whose name and land were associated with the Sorrell Grove # 6 School. Lentis was blessed with an encyclopedic memory and he shared with me many dates, figures and other information that were perfectly in line with original documents. He was not bashful in questioning former classmates and relatives and asking for pictures. He found joy in reading the daily newspapers, talking to relatives and friends on the phone and visiting older relatives to talk about old times. We owe him a great debt for that because it benefitted me so much in writing the history of our Grove Schools.
My mother-in-law was Maude Penny Sorrell. She was daughter of Joseph H. Penny, Sr. who along with Bob Turlington was responsible for petitioning for the Penny-“Rockridge” Grove # 7 School. Lentis would attend the Sorrell # 6 School and Maude would attend the Penny # 7 School in the early grades but both would eventually attend the Coats District# 3. This was so beneficial because it gave me insight and names from three of the seven district schools.
The date was June 7, 1915. J.M Hodges, T. W. Harrington and O. Bradley served on the Harnett County Board of Education when they met and approved petitioners Bob Turlington and Joseph Hawkins Penny’s request for a school later known as the Penny ‘Rockridge” School Grove District #7. The county agreed to pay $200.00 of the estimated $800.00 cost of the building. The Grove District #7 patrons agreed to pay the remaining cost. The school was built on land given by Jim Dawson Avery and the school building was constructed by local patrons.
The first teacher was William Cox who was remembered as having beautiful penmanship according to material received from Hermie Turlington via Uncle Howard Penny, Sr., son of a petitioner.
In 1917-18, there were 2 teachers at Penny Grove #7. Each teacher earned $44.40 per month and the school had 36 average attendances.
Records of 1922-23 term filed by Myrtle Stewart showed that Grove #7 Penny school had 2 classrooms located on a 2 acre site. The school contained 35 patent desk (3 single desks and 32 double desks), 1 bench, 2 stoves, 1 bookcase with 45 volumes, 2 window shades, 1 open well and 1 map.
Stewart also reported that 6 students attended 110-120 days. There were 42 compulsory age students in the district but only 27 were enrolled. Nineteen students were promoted out of the total enrollment. Average daily attendance was 26. Nine students between 16 and 21 years of age attended. No students were in the 5th or 6th grade but there were 7th graders.
In 1924-25 only one teacher was employed at the building now valued at $600.00. The school had added a flag but the book count was lower.
In the 24-25 term, 5 students attended 110 to 120 school days but 16 attended less than 60 days. Sixteen boys and 14 girls attended regularly and of these, 11 were promoted. Boys far outnumbered the girls in the number of tardies. The average attendance was 15 that year and dropped to 14 in 1926-27, the last term that the school operated before it consolidated with the Coats District #3 School.
W.J. Crowley (1920), Dona Ennis (Principal 1918), Alice Grimes (1919), Susan Payne (1920), Brookie Stewart (1923), and Mrs. Z.T. Stewart (1925) were other names recorded as having taught at the Grove District #7 Penny School.
The Grove District #7Penny School burned. I was told that it was on the site of the home of William Avery house on SR1563 in 1985 which is named the Bill Avery Road in 2022.
Do you think the fact that Coats District # 3 became an accredited high school was reason for the rural schools to close down to consolidate to a larger school? Or was it that school trucks could transport the rural students to school? Did the District#3 offer opportunities beyond the 3 R’s?
You might enjoy reading the following: in 1919 the state mandated 6 month attendance for all 8 to 12 year olds; in 1923 Coats Grove District # 3 Girls won the Harnett County Basketball Championship; in 1930 state mandated 8 month school term and Vocational Education was approved by the Department of Public Instruction; in 1935 state textbook rental by students; in 1940 state mandated a nine month term and compulsory age raised to 14-16 years of age; in 1941 Coats Girls won Harnett County Basketball Championship; after 1945 twelfth grade was added to graduate; in 1953 Coats Boys Basketball Sportsmanship; in 1956 Coats Sixth Graders won County Spelling Bee Championship; in 1958 JV Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A West Conference Boys’ Basketball Championship, Harnett County Boys’ Basketball Championship ; in 1961 Baseball Harnett County Championship; in 1968 Coats Baseball Harnett County Championship ;in 1971 Harnett County Boys’ Basketball Class A Championship; in 1973 Coats Boys Carolina Conference Football Sportsmanship; in 1974 Junior High Boys’ Basketball Championship; 1976 Kindergarten available for all 5 year olds; 1977 Carolina 1-A West School Sportsmanship; 1978 Harnett County Middle school Baseball Championship, Carolina 1-A Conference Softball Championship and Carolina 1-A Conference Sportsmanship; 1979 Football Sportsmanship ; 1980 Middle School Boys Basketball Championship; 1981 Carolina 1-A Softball Championship, Angier Invitational Softball Championship; 1982 Carolina 1-A Conference Girls Sportsmanship; 1983 Harnett County Junior High Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A Conference Junior Varsity Basketball Championship and Carolina 1-A Conference Softball Season Championship; 1984 Coats School Reunion Project, Inc. established; and in 1985, Harnett County Quiz Bowl 2nd Place, Carolina 1-A Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A Boys Basketball Tournament Winner and finally in 1985 Carolina 1-a Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Championship.
At this 1985 point, the Coats High School closed its doors to 9-12 students who would travel to Triton to join students from Erwin and Dunn. In 1999, the students in Grades 6-7 would travel to the Turlington area and attend the Coats-Erwin Middle School and then in 2002, the students would enter the Coats Elementary School on Brickmill Road leaving a campus to deteriorate that had been there over a 100 years and had its origin in a one-room school headed by W.P Byrd as its first teacher.
At the Coats Museum’s annual board meeting, Sandy Howard was elected to the Board of Directors Class of 2023 and Myrtle Bridges, Lenny Parker, Peggy Robinson and Randy Stephenson as members of the Class of 2024. H.L. Sorrell, Andy Cole, Becky Adams and Robie Butler will remain as officers on the Executive Board. A special thank you goes to all those who serve on the museum board because we know how special you are.
Here’s hoping you have enjoyed your paper journey into the history of the early schools in Grove Township. The point of the articles was to inform you that the Coats High School was not the only school to lose its identity because of consolidation which in turn meant that most of the original Grove District School houses are no longer in existence. Were it not for the Coats School Reunion Project in 1985 and the last Coats High School yearbook in 1985, there would be very little preserved written history of those schools.
Had it not been for Marie Salmon to encourage me in 1985 to write the history of the Grove Schools, I would never have tackled the overwhelming task of researching and pleading for information from a limited number of former students who had attended some of those old schools.
When writing “There and Back on a Paper Canoe” in 2003-05 for the Coats Centennial History Book Project for the Coats Museum, my living room in 1985 had been filled with county and state public school records, notes from interviews, sheets of paper with bits and pieces of information about the old schools. A telephone and phone book were close by to call dozens of people whose names were shared as the search for the school history began.
The end product that you have been reading is far from being perfect. Dates and names are remembered differently by some who were interviewed and the memories did not always match the public documents. Would I spend hundreds of hours doing this school research and writing again? That is a no brainer. When one is hungry, a piece of stale bread tastes delicious.
My father-in-law, Howard Lentis Sorrell, Sr., was a grandson of William Richard Sorrell whose name and land were associated with the Sorrell Grove # 6 School. Lentis was blessed with an encyclopedic memory and he shared with me many dates, figures and other information that were perfectly in line with original documents. He was not bashful in questioning former classmates and relatives and asking for pictures. He found joy in reading the daily newspapers, talking to relatives and friends on the phone and visiting older relatives to talk about old times. We owe him a great debt for that because it benefitted me so much in writing the history of our Grove Schools.
My mother-in-law was Maude Penny Sorrell. She was daughter of Joseph H. Penny, Sr. who along with Bob Turlington was responsible for petitioning for the Penny-“Rockridge” Grove # 7 School. Lentis would attend the Sorrell # 6 School and Maude would attend the Penny # 7 School in the early grades but both would eventually attend the Coats District# 3. This was so beneficial because it gave me insight and names from three of the seven district schools.
The date was June 7, 1915. J.M Hodges, T. W. Harrington and O. Bradley served on the Harnett County Board of Education when they met and approved petitioners Bob Turlington and Joseph Hawkins Penny’s request for a school later known as the Penny ‘Rockridge” School Grove District #7. The county agreed to pay $200.00 of the estimated $800.00 cost of the building. The Grove District #7 patrons agreed to pay the remaining cost. The school was built on land given by Jim Dawson Avery and the school building was constructed by local patrons.
The first teacher was William Cox who was remembered as having beautiful penmanship according to material received from Hermie Turlington via Uncle Howard Penny, Sr., son of a petitioner.
In 1917-18, there were 2 teachers at Penny Grove #7. Each teacher earned $44.40 per month and the school had 36 average attendances.
Records of 1922-23 term filed by Myrtle Stewart showed that Grove #7 Penny school had 2 classrooms located on a 2 acre site. The school contained 35 patent desk (3 single desks and 32 double desks), 1 bench, 2 stoves, 1 bookcase with 45 volumes, 2 window shades, 1 open well and 1 map.
Stewart also reported that 6 students attended 110-120 days. There were 42 compulsory age students in the district but only 27 were enrolled. Nineteen students were promoted out of the total enrollment. Average daily attendance was 26. Nine students between 16 and 21 years of age attended. No students were in the 5th or 6th grade but there were 7th graders.
In 1924-25 only one teacher was employed at the building now valued at $600.00. The school had added a flag but the book count was lower.
In the 24-25 term, 5 students attended 110 to 120 school days but 16 attended less than 60 days. Sixteen boys and 14 girls attended regularly and of these, 11 were promoted. Boys far outnumbered the girls in the number of tardies. The average attendance was 15 that year and dropped to 14 in 1926-27, the last term that the school operated before it consolidated with the Coats District #3 School.
W.J. Crowley (1920), Dona Ennis (Principal 1918), Alice Grimes (1919), Susan Payne (1920), Brookie Stewart (1923), and Mrs. Z.T. Stewart (1925) were other names recorded as having taught at the Grove District #7 Penny School.
The Grove District #7Penny School burned. I was told that it was on the site of the home of William Avery house on SR1563 in 1985 which is named the Bill Avery Road in 2022.
Do you think the fact that Coats District # 3 became an accredited high school was reason for the rural schools to close down to consolidate to a larger school? Or was it that school trucks could transport the rural students to school? Did the District#3 offer opportunities beyond the 3 R’s?
You might enjoy reading the following: in 1919 the state mandated 6 month attendance for all 8 to 12 year olds; in 1923 Coats Grove District # 3 Girls won the Harnett County Basketball Championship; in 1930 state mandated 8 month school term and Vocational Education was approved by the Department of Public Instruction; in 1935 state textbook rental by students; in 1940 state mandated a nine month term and compulsory age raised to 14-16 years of age; in 1941 Coats Girls won Harnett County Basketball Championship; after 1945 twelfth grade was added to graduate; in 1953 Coats Boys Basketball Sportsmanship; in 1956 Coats Sixth Graders won County Spelling Bee Championship; in 1958 JV Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A West Conference Boys’ Basketball Championship, Harnett County Boys’ Basketball Championship ; in 1961 Baseball Harnett County Championship; in 1968 Coats Baseball Harnett County Championship ;in 1971 Harnett County Boys’ Basketball Class A Championship; in 1973 Coats Boys Carolina Conference Football Sportsmanship; in 1974 Junior High Boys’ Basketball Championship; 1976 Kindergarten available for all 5 year olds; 1977 Carolina 1-A West School Sportsmanship; 1978 Harnett County Middle school Baseball Championship, Carolina 1-A Conference Softball Championship and Carolina 1-A Conference Sportsmanship; 1979 Football Sportsmanship ; 1980 Middle School Boys Basketball Championship; 1981 Carolina 1-A Softball Championship, Angier Invitational Softball Championship; 1982 Carolina 1-A Conference Girls Sportsmanship; 1983 Harnett County Junior High Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A Conference Junior Varsity Basketball Championship and Carolina 1-A Conference Softball Season Championship; 1984 Coats School Reunion Project, Inc. established; and in 1985, Harnett County Quiz Bowl 2nd Place, Carolina 1-A Boys Basketball Championship, Carolina 1-A Boys Basketball Tournament Winner and finally in 1985 Carolina 1-a Junior Varsity Boys Basketball Championship.
At this 1985 point, the Coats High School closed its doors to 9-12 students who would travel to Triton to join students from Erwin and Dunn. In 1999, the students in Grades 6-7 would travel to the Turlington area and attend the Coats-Erwin Middle School and then in 2002, the students would enter the Coats Elementary School on Brickmill Road leaving a campus to deteriorate that had been there over a 100 years and had its origin in a one-room school headed by W.P Byrd as its first teacher.
At the Coats Museum’s annual board meeting, Sandy Howard was elected to the Board of Directors Class of 2023 and Myrtle Bridges, Lenny Parker, Peggy Robinson and Randy Stephenson as members of the Class of 2024. H.L. Sorrell, Andy Cole, Becky Adams and Robie Butler will remain as officers on the Executive Board. A special thank you goes to all those who serve on the museum board because we know how special you are.