West End Elementary

1920s:

1928 First & Second Grade:

Article published in the Gaffney Ledger 30 Nov 1988

Fire Claims Old School
West End, Cherokee High Building Burns

By Patti H McCraw

A piece of Gaffney's past was destroyed last night as the old West End Elementary School--more recently known as the Cherokee Alternative School--went up in flames.

Working furiously to keep the blaze under control, firefighteres braved the cold as the flames leaped high into the night sky. The intense glow of the blaze could be seen across town.

Firefighters from all over Cherokee County responded to the multi-alarm blaze that began around 2am this morning. The fire started in the basement, according to preliminary reports from fire officials.

The owner of the school, J Mathis Brown of Gaffney, said this morning that he did not have any insurance on the structure, but added, "it wasn't worth anything either." Brown, who bought the 3-acre site which houses the old school at a public auction last year from the School District, said that he bought the land, not the old building.

"I think some of the panhandlers around Gaffney used it now and it was pretty well torn up," Brown said. "I would have had to take it down sooner or later anyway."

With sparks shooting into the sky, units stationed on each side of the building kept a close watch for any threat to the homes which closely surround the building.

Even in the wee hours of the night, onlookers watched as the fire consumed the structure. One of those bystanders included John Black, who attended the school for first grade in 1920.

"I'm sad to see it burn," Black said. "It's a shame because the building was really a nice one at one time."

But officials had no time for reminiscing after the first sign of smoke billowed. City Police officer Chris Skinner told The Ledger that two juveniles stopped at the station and reported the fire.

When Skinner and Constable Greg Holland entered the building minutes later, they searched the first floor and basement for possible inhabitants.

There were already flames on the lower floor at that time but no one was found inside.

"From all appearances, it looks like as though the fire started in the basement," Don Parris, captain of the Gaffney Fire Department, said. "It was an old building and once it got started--that was it. We were trying to put it out but that was a losing battle."

No injuries have been reported at this time and no cause officially listed. Fire officials will make a complete investigation of the rubble as soon as possible, they said.

City administrator Ben Clary said this morning that, according to city ordinance, Brown will have up to six months, or possibly longer, to remove the burned structure from the site.