Stearn's School Building

The Stearns School Building is one of the most significant buildings in Polk County, North Carolina. Located in the town of Columbus, it sits in the heart of Stearns Park, and across the street from the county courthouse. The building is comfortably placed at the foothills of White Oak Mountain and is a popular place in the town due to its location in the park. Founded by the leading educator for the town, Stearns has always been the embodiment of the dreams that its founder had for the future of public education in the area. The building currently functions as the Polk County Board of Education.

Before 1891, ideas for public education in Polk County were nonexistent. There had existed a small subscription school in a one-room schoolhouse near Columbus Baptist Church, but that is all that the county had.¹ This all changed when Frank Stearns moved to Columbus from Cleveland, Ohio.¹ After he spent some time here, he realized the community was in desperate need of educational facilities. Stearns purchased land near the Polk County Courthouse and built a schoolhouse that would hold six grades.² Anyone who wanted an education was welcomed.

More buildings were added to the main school building, such as a library and kindergarten facility.¹ In 1898, the school became known as The Central Institute.¹ Many more expansions were made and grades were added, including high school grades, and the building that exists today was fully formed by 1910.¹ The school presented its first graduating class in 1911 with just two members.¹ Frank Stearns died in 1919, and the school name was changed to Stearns High School, as a way to reflect all of the efforts Stearns had made in the field of education during his time alive.¹ The establishment of this school helped to direct a path for many children living in the area.

Stearns High School existed as it did until 1947, when two separate schools located in Tryon and Mill Spring, North Carolina, were constructed to accommodate the growing amount of children located in the rural areas that were further away from the school.¹ Even after its time of serving the public as a school, it has continued to bless the surrounding area as a historical marker in the town. It still serves as the office for the Polk County School district and still holds many recreational activities located in the Stearns Gymnasium.³

This building holds a special place in the hearts of the students, now grown, who spent time in its classrooms and hallways. Those who never experienced the pleasure of attending school at Stearns also appreciate the benefits it brought to the community. In conclusion, Stearns School will always be a special place in Polk County.

Columbus NC, Carolina Foothills Chamber of Commerce. Accessed April 18th 2022.

https://carolinafoothillschamber.com/carolina-foothills-communities/columbus-nc/.

McMurray Tallant, Vadah E. "Corrections from community requested by locals for History of Stearns School." Tryon Daily

Bulletin (Tryon, NC) November 12, 2009.

Rhinehart, Andy. Polk County Schools to mark Stearns centennial with Oct. 7 celebration, Polk Students. September 28,

2017. Accessed April 18, 2022. https://polkstudents.com/stearns-reunion-planned-oct-

7/#:~:text=Stearns%20opened%20his%20first%20school,was%20renamed%20in%20his%20honor.