Sawmills Area Schools

Transcribed from the Caldwell County Heritage Book. Information provided by The Communicator

Bradshaw School was the first school in the Saw Mills community. It was a log structure built in 1859, one mile south of the school. The school burned in 1870, and was not reconstructed until 1887.

In 1901, Bradshaw School was divided. The northern section of the community went to school in the old Tom King store house a few hundred yards north of the railroad crossing at a roller mill. Dry Ponds School was opened for the southern section and operated for about thirty years.

A new school was given by Jule Icard in 1908. It was a one-room structure located next to Mt Zion Church, and it was the first school to be known as Saw Mill School. It grew quickly and partition had to be built through the room so that two teachers might hold classes.

In the 1917-1918 school year, the first Saw Mills School burned. To replace it, a three-room structure was built and used until 1930. The present building was then constructed having, at that time, six rooms, a principal's office, and an auditorium which would seat 450. Many improvements and additions have been named to Saw Mills School since then; and through consolidation the school has taken in Dry Ponds, Philadelphia and Bushville Schools.

In 1936, cooks for the school lunchroom were made available through the W P A. For the next four years the auditorium was used as a lunchroom. In 1940, through the help of the school board, the PTA, and the WPA, a new lunchroom was built with a seating capacity of 72.

The school continued to grow and in 1954, it was necessary to add three classrooms and a lunchroom with a larger seating capacity. Two more classrooms were constructed in 1957, and still another classroom and a library were added in 1965. In 1972, the auditorium was converted into a media center. The library then became a classroom.

Saw Mills School has for mobile units which provide six classrooms. The first unit was put into use in 1968, and the other units were placed here in 1974.