Davenport College

In 1855, the Davenport Female College opened, providing a post-high school educational opportunity for young ladies in Caldwell County. The land for the college was donated by William A Lenoir, grandson of General William Lenoir. Colonel William Davenport, one-time state senator and Lenoir citizen, donated $2600 for the building project. Others donated money, labor, building supplies. Donations were also made of furnishings and other equipment.

With fifty students, the college first opened its doors 15 Jul 1858. Descriptions from various sources indicate that the main building was 120 feet long and made of brick with thirteen classrooms, a large chapel and a second building, three story, dormitory connected with covered walkways. The main building also had a cupola with a telescope in it for astronomy studies. Behind the main building was a natural ampitheatre, shaded with oaks where students could exercise.

The school received a charter from the North Carolina General Assembly in 1859 and seventy students were enrolled. In 1860, eighty-eight students were enrolled. The curriculum included classes in anatomy, art, biology, botany, English, geography, history, Latin, math, modern languages, music, physiology, religion. Three preparatory school grades were also offered. Full college educations for women in the United States was rare at this time.

Classes continued through the Civil War, despite the depravations. On 15 and 16 Apr 1865, as part of Stoneman's Raid, soldiers vandalized the school. However, students, in anticipation of the raid, had been moved elsewhere prior to the soldiers' arrival.

In Feb 1877, the college burned to the ground when a spark from the chimney touched the roof. Rebuilding began almost immediately, but it was several years before the new building was complete and the school could once again offer the curriculum it had before the fire.

In 1893, the school allowed males to enroll in the preparatory classes. There is no record of any males ever receiving a degree from Davenport College. In 1915, the name was changed to Davenport College.

By the early 1900s, electricity, steam heat and city water and sewage were installed. Tuition in 1904 was $55/semester for classes, room and board, and all other required costs. The number of students now enrolled was 165.

In 1932, suffering from the financial effects of the Great Depression, the Western North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Church recommended merging Davenport College with Greensboro College (also a women's institution). In preparation for this merger, Davenport closed it's doors in 1933 and the campus became a part of Lenoir City Schools. The merger was fully completed in 1938.

In 1946, the main building was razed to make room for the Davenport Elementary School. In 1986, Cornelius Hall, built in 1914, was demolished after it fell in to disrepair. The last remaining building of what was Davenport College, was used by Lenoir City Schools until 1986 as a music practice building. The building had been built in 1926 with facilities for a dining room and kitchen, home economics and science labs, an art studio, and music practice rooms. In 1991, the Caldwell Heritage Museum was granted the building and the assorted collections in the museum's possession are housed there today.

The following is a list of faculty from 1905:

Mme S C Giddings-Hebron, Instrumental Music

Mrs H B Nolley, Primary Dept

Prof H B Nolley, Mathematics and Science

Miss Laura Norwood, Art

Miss Lizzie Parker, Latin and History, Lady Principal

Miss Kate Robinson, Voice

Miss Gussie Smith, Elocution

Prof Anderson Weaver, English and German

Dr Charles C Weaver, Psychology and Ethics, President

Rev J H Weaver, Bible

Trustees from 1905:

Rev D Atkins, D D J B Atkinson

Hon W H Bower W H Cloyd

Rev L T Cordell M M Courtney

J R Ervin Dr W P Ivey

Cpt P J Johnson Dr A A Kent

Rev Lee T Mann J L Nelson

Hon W J Newland M E Shell

A N Todd J R Widny

Class of 1905:

Jessie M Newland, President

Edyth Alexander, Vice President

Margaret E Umberger, Historian

Mary McGowan, Prophet

Kate Wagg, Lyric Poet

Rose Earnhardt, Secretary

Eva Goforth, Epic Poet

Class of 1906 (in 1905):

Edna Lee Holsclaw, President

Clyde Thomas, Historian

Margaret Katheryn Newell, Prophet

Mary Ethel Terrell, Poet

Lena Estelle Allen

Helen Coiner Allison

Marie Allison

Lunda Beatrice Bingham

Esther Llewellyn Brown

Annie Lee Hoffman

Henrietta Cornelia Montgomery

Annie Pryor Nolley

Estella Naoma Owenby

Eunice Hall Roberts

Elberta Annie Rogers

Helen Reid Shell

Clyde Thomas

Dona Elizabeth Tuttle

Class of 1907 (in 1905):

Edna Hayes, President

Lina Ivey, Vice-President

Mozelle Trollinger, Historian

Ola Ford, Secretary and Treasurer

Maude Edith Allred

Edith Augusta Arey

Eva Belle Blair

Ina Violet Carpenter

Ocey Pollock Comann

Lula Terrell Cordell

Alma Corpening

Ola Marie Ford

Mary Louise Gwynn

Bess Hoover

Princess Mackey

Anna Maud Minish

Jo Colville Newland

Georgia Rendleman

Florence Lillian Shutt

Sallie Smithdeal

Nell Blount Weaver

Mary Edna Webb

Class of 1908 (in 1905):

Ruth Claywell Kinsey, President

Annie Gordon Shearer, Vice-President

Grace Steele, Secretary

Addie Dorcas Steele, Historian

Mattie Mae Blackburn

Jennie Roberta Blackburn

Mary Eugenia Grayson

Fannie Jones Hamby

Bess Annie Hardie

Eva Lillian Hardie

Maude Louise Hartley

Alma Dean Holsclaw

Lena Mae Johnson

Lizzie Dee Jones

Clara Marie Latham

Vena Ione Little

Kathleen Byrd Moore

Stella Mae Mock

Lettie Viola Nelson

Marie Newland

Margaret Elizabeth Osborne

Margaret Elizabeth Peeler

Hettie Leola Pitts

Mertha Elizabeth Pitts

Carrie Stuart Steele

Mary Martha Stacey

Grace Rebecca Tuttle

Maude Weaver

The following is a list of faculty from 1906:

Miss Bettie Lee Ault, Piano, Mandolin and Guitar

Miss Grace Crocker, Violin

Mme S C Giddings-Hebron, Piano

Miss Laura Jones, Mathematics

Mrs H B Nolley, Primary Dept

Prof H B Nolley, Mathematics and Science

Miss Laura Norwood, Art

Miss Lizzie Parker, Latin and History, Lady Principal

Miss Katherine Price, Elocution

Miss Kate Isabel Robinson, Voice

Prof Anderson Weaver, English and German

Dr Charles C Weaver, Psychology and Ethics, President

Class of 1906:

Helen Coiner Allison

Esther Llewellyn Brown

Edna Lee Holsclaw, History

Henrietta Cornelia Montgomery

Margaret Katherine Newell, Prophet

Estella Naomi Owenby

Annie Pryor Nolley

Lucy Thelma Rankin

Helen Reid Shell, Secretary

Mary Ethel Terrell, Poet

Clyde Thomas, President

Dora Elizabeth Tuttle

Class of 1907 (in 1906):

Marie Allison, President

Maude Edith Allred

Edith Augusta Arey

Maggie Lou Boggs

Cora Mae Blair

Lillian Cooper Bryson

Ina Violet Carpenter

Mary Louise Gwyn, Secretary and Treasurer

Edna Hays, Historian

Lina J Ivey

Ruth Claywell Kinsey

Jo Calville Newland

Zoe Porter, Poet

Flora Rutledge

Mozelle Trollinger

Imogene Tuttle

Class of 1908 (in 1906):

Winnie Davis Brittain

Pansy Maie Brunt

Bessie Lavinia Cassels

Zelda Cline, Historian

Annie Cooper

Lula Fain

Mamie Sue Johnson

Leila Kinsey

Vena Little, Secretary and Treasurer

Evelyn Lynch

Iris Beatrice Patton

Lizzie Peeler

Hettie Leola Pitts

Ina Lee Saunders

Mary Stacey

Addie Dorcas Steele

Carrie Stuart Steele

Grace Steele

Maude Weaver, President

Class of 1909 (in 1906):

Bessie Lavinia Cassels

Alice Coffey

Lucy Coltrane, Historian

Nina Corpening

Mary Cox

Kate Mae Deal

Fannie Burr Fain

Charlotte Falls

Docia Falls

Gwendoline Gaston

Alpha Falsom Good, President

Florence Ada Harshaw

Mamie Harshaw, Treasurer

Neal Smith Lilly

Sallie Moss Lilly

Suma Bogle Little

Bessie Drucilla Mason

Kate Ree Nash, Secretary

Margaret Elizabeth Osborne

Bessie Belka Pratt

Winnie Armon Pratt

Pinkie Rendleman

Mary Spencer

Charlotte Juanita Starrett

Nannie Steele

Mamie Suddreth

Carrie Lewis Tate

Nina Eva Troutman

Rebecca Grace Tuttle

Bessie Lucretia Widenhouse