Barton College Wilson, NC 252-399-6300 I talked with Rodney Lippard at the library. He told me that Ed Holloway was the one to talk with about any historical information or manuscript material. Ed was out when I called. Was to check back with him later.

I found a transcript of Henry G Speight bible 1824-1873 a while back and now can't find it again. Anyone know where it was posted? This was all I copied before I lost the page Henry G Speight bible 1824-1873 Henry G. Speight Sun of Josiah Speight and Susannah his wife was borned Nov. 24th AD 1824 Henry G Speight & Lydia E Moore was Married January 24th AD 1850 Debbie

[TRYING A SECOND TIME] I was asked to put up some of my history articles on the Mail List. I had a conversation last night about the Winterville Academy, so here is an article I wrote several months ago. I hope you find it interesting. Thanks, Roger Kammerer History of the Winterville Academy Pitt County has long had a willingness to try to educate its children as evidenced by the scores of schools in its history. It seems every community and cross roads town had its own school built either by one local man or group of citizens. The old Winterville Academy was one of these schools that were the outgrowth of people in a community trying to educate its children. The love of education in the Winterville community initially grew out of the love for learning instilled in the pupils of Mrs. Mary Smith (Miss Polly) who had taught many of them in a private school in her home. One of these students was Miss Nannie C. Cox (1865-1939) daughter of John Cannon Cox and Elizabeth Gardner. Nannie went to the Normal and Industrial Training School for Teachers in Greensboro, NC for a year and then returned home. She taught a private school in her neighborhood for several years. The village of Winterville grew up around her brother A. G. Cox’s Manufacturing Company and with his help, Nannie Cox bought a lot and had a boarding house and school built on it. The two-teacher school opened in 1895 as the “Winterville Academy.” Her two assistants in the school were Miss Mattie Tucker and Miss Leta McGowan. A number of boarding pupils from other communities were enrolled in the Winterville Academy and it became a very popular and influential school. According to an advertisement for the Winterville Academy, Miss Nannie Cox, Principal, in the local newspaper in Oct. 1897, her prices were: “Primary English, $1.00 per month; Intermediate English, $1.50 per month; Higher English, $2.00 per month; Languages, each, $1.00 per month; Music, including piano rent, $2.50 per month and Board, $4-$5.00 per month; with no deduction for loss of time except in case of sickness of as much as a week’s duration.” In 1899, Nannie Cox married Mr. Walter J. Wyatt and she stopped teaching and got Jesse L. Jackson to take over as principal. He served as principal for only a year. His assistants were Miss Rosa Cox and Miss Annie Wyatt who taught music. In 1899, Mr. A. G. Cox and Dr. Beriah T. Cox bought and donated a four-acre plot of land for a school, in the southeastern part of the town. Work had already started on erecting a school building on the land when in 1900 a stock company was formed for the operation of the school and interest grew to such an extent that it was offered to the Neuse Baptist Association and was accepted for a denominational school. The central building built in 1900 was a two-story building, 54 ft. by 64 ft., with double porches and a large bell tower. It had a large auditorium or chapel, four large recitation rooms and four smaller classrooms for art and music. The Winterville Academy opened in Jan. 1901 with G. E. Lineberry, a native of Chatham County, NC and graduate of Wake Forest College, as principal. F. C. Nye was appointed his assistant. On Feb. 5, 1901 the school was incorporated as “The Winterville High School.” The school was operated by 18 trustees who served under the auspices of the Neuse White Baptist Association. In 1902, a dormitory for girls with 19 bedrooms, two bathrooms, a parlor and dining room was erected on the west side of the property. They were described as having stone floors and slate roofs and as being the “model of convenience and comfort.” Later two small boy’s dormitories, one with fifteen rooms and the other with sixteen rooms were built on the east side. In June 1903, it was reported that the school campus had been enclosed with an attractive Pittsburgh wire fence, nice walks had been laid off and the entire grounds had been leveled preparatory to sowing in lawn grass. By 1907, the school grounds had four buildings and had enlarged to over seven acres. According to the rules in the school catalog from 1908…”School opened each morning with religious exercises and all pupils had to attend. School discipline was rigid, cigarette smoking and profanity were forbidden. Also forbidden was unnecessary communication between boys and girls. Forty demerits resulted in suspension and three suspensions were grounds for expulsion. All boarding students furnished their own sheets, pillows, pillowcases and two blankets. Room and board in the dormitories were about $8.00-$9.60 per month, including fuel and electric lights. School lasted three months, tuition, to be paid in advance, was $5.00 for first primary, $7.50 for second primary and $17.50 for high school per month.” In 1909, F. C. Nye succeeded Mr. Lineberry as principal and by the next year, the Roanoke-Baptist Association became co-owner of the school. The school became very popular and students were coming from all over eastern North Carolina. Winterville grew as many families moved to Winterville so their children could attend the school. About this time they had a school annual called the “Cotton Boll.” Prospects were very promising until right after the fall term of 1916 opened. In the early morning of August 16, lightning struck the administration building and the fire which ensued completely, destroyed most of its contents and all the school records since the beginning. School activities resumed the same day in the dining room of the Girls Dormitory and plans were immediately started to rebuild. Due to the economic conditions brought on by World War I, it wasn’t until the Spring of 1919 that a new administration building was begun. In November 1919, before the new brick administration building was completed, another fire destroyed the Girls Dormitory. No more school was taught that year and since the State was becoming more interested in High Schools, it was decided to sell the school to the State the next year. The school reopened in the fall of 1920 as a public high school. In 1935, a new high school building was built and the old building became the elementary school. A new gymnasium became the eighth building on the campus in 1965. When the schools were integrated and consolidated, the Winterville High School ended in 1970 and the students were moved to the new D. H. Conley High School in January 1971. The old Winterville High School became a middle school named the A. G. Cox Middle School. The last vestige of the old Winterville High School, the brick administration building built in 1919, was torn down in 1974 and replaced by a modern addition. The cornerstone and keystone from the brick administration building were saved and are now located in the cafeteria building of the new school. Using older people’s memories and the few school catalogues that still exist we have a record of some of the people associated with the old Winterville High School. Others who followed F. C. Nye as principal and teachers include: B. R. Page, H. F. Brinson, John R. Carroll, J. L. Olive, Paul S. Daniel, George Quillen, Ivan Bennett, C. J. Carpenter. Among the lady teachers were: Misses Annie Lee Staley, Lena Spain, Nannie D. Wood, Laura Cox, V. Elizabeth Boushall, Mollie Bryan, Effie Barker, Kemp Carlson, Rennie Peele, Dora Cox, Ethel Carroll, Nellie Page, Mary Susan Steele, Kate Watson, Lossie Stone, Vivian Roberson, Netta Liles, Clyde Harrison, Nan Lou Waldrop, Musette Daniel, Carmen Rogers, Bessie Johnson, Bessie Sams, Alice Irving Lambert, Ethel Jennie Miller, Kate Jenkins, Ethel Gillett and Lillie Bennett. Among the Dormitory matrons remembered were: Mrs. Eliza Woolard, Miss Neta Dew, Miss Nannie Braxton and Miss Roxie Harris.