The Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society
Of the Old Steele Creek Township
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

Shopton School

SHOPTON SCHOOL
(Picture Taken about 1910)

Shopton School was located in the Shopton "village" across the road from the Capt. William Wallis Robinson home. About 1896, the three children of Capt. W. W. Robinson, Feriba Blanche Robinson McGill, Minnie Robinson Price and E. B. Robinson, sold one acre of land for the school to be built. The local school commissioners established the Shopton High School there, opening on September 1, 1896. It is believed that there was an earlier school for Shopton somewhere in the area. Shopton High School contained one room for elementary age children, one room for seventh grade to graduation, a music room, and a utility room.

The following served as principals and teachers at Shopton:
1896 - 1898 - L. O. McCutcheon, Principal; Assistants: Miss Ida Pursley, Miss Forence Little and Miss Ximenia Hunter.
1909-99 - H. J. Mills, Principal; Miss Lillian Morrison, Assistant
1899 - 1900 - J. R. Sandifer, Principal; Miss Nannie Crawford
1900 - 1901 - J. R. Sandifer, Principal; Miss Nannie Crawford (resigned) Miss Lillie Sandifer
1901 -02 W. P. Robinson, Principal; Miss Lillie Sandifer Assisant.
1902-1904 A. G. Randolph, Principal; Miss Lillie Sandifer, Assistant
1904 - 1905 Miss Anna Lois McDowell, Principal; Miss Carrie Potts, Asst.
1905-1906 A. G. Randolph; Principal; Miss Julia Knox, Asst.
1906-1907 G. P. Heilig, Principal; Miss Carrie Potts, Asst.
1907-1908 W. W. Rankin, Jr., Principal; Miss Jess Robertson, Asst.
1908-1909 Miss Mary Leslie, Principal; Miss Minne Ranson, Asst.
1909-1910 S. I. Alexander, Principal; Miss Bess Grier, Asst.
1910-1911 R. D. Grier, Principal; Miss Bess Grier, Asst.
(Miss Bess Grier continued as Assistant from 1910 - 1920 becoming the principal in 1921 when the school closed)
Other principals during that time were:
1911-1913 S. I. Alexander; 1913-1914 - F W Terrell, 1914-1915 - Miss Eunice Riggins; 1915-1916, W. K. McGill; 1916-1917, B. S. Plaxico; 1917-1918, Miss Helen Hunter; 1918 - 1920, Miss Mary Lee Johnston.

This school served the Shopton area until 1921, when it was consolidated along with other schools in the area to join with Dixie High School. From 1921 until the building burned in 1924, it was used by the Steele Creek Home Demonstration Club.

Students graduating from Shopton School who became ministers were:
J. W. Grier, Murray Pegram, Price H. Gwynn, T. F. Grier, O. C. Williamson and D. Lee Williamson.

(From: The History of the Steel Creek Presbyterian Church, 3rd edition, Historical Committee of 1976. Charlotte Craftsman Printing House, 1978. Pp. 172-173.)

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