Long Creek Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Long Creek Academy
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Long Creek Academy in 2009
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Long Creek, South Carolina |
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| Area | 19.9 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | 1914 |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002059 |
| Added to NRHP | November 20, 1987 |
The Long Creek Academy was once a special school for kids in a rural area. It's located near Long Creek, South Carolina, in Oconee County. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. Today, it's used by a company that organizes whitewater rafting trips!
Contents
History of Long Creek Academy
Starting a School for Rural Kids
In 1913, a group called the Beaverdam Baptist Association had an idea. They wanted to build a high school for children living in the countryside of Oconee County. The school opened its doors in 1914. It was supported by the Beaverdam Baptist Association and another group called the Home Mission Board.
Long Creek Academy was one of six "mountain mission schools" in the southern United States. Four of these special schools were located in South Carolina. The Academy property was quite large, about 55 acres (22 hectares).
Buildings and Changes Over Time
The main building of the Academy was finished in 1914. A few years later, in 1917, the Sullivan Building was also completed. In 1916, another group, the Saluda Baptist Association, joined in to help the Academy.
Later, in 1922, the South Carolina Baptist Convention took over running the school. However, by 1931, they decided to sell the property.
A New Chapter for the Academy
After the property was sold, the school's principal, Rev. Luther Henry Raines, took charge. He turned the Academy into a private school. It even became an official state high school.
The school continued to teach Bible courses. The State of South Carolina helped pay the teachers until 1952. Rev. Raines kept the Academy running without state or church help until 1956.
From School to Rafting Headquarters
Eventually, the Academy property was divided and sold off. In 1976, James and Jeanette Greiner bought about 19 acres (7.7 hectares). This land included the two main Academy buildings.
They transformed the old school into a local office for a river rafting company. This company helps people go on exciting trips down the nearby Chattooga River.
Architecture of the Academy Buildings
The Main Building's Design
The Main Building is a two-story building shaped like the letter "L". It has an attic too. The foundation is made of river rock and concrete. This foundation is covered with stucco that looks like cut stone.
The first floor has siding made of weatherboard. The second floor is covered with wood shingles. The roof was originally metal but now has composition shingles. On top of the roof, there's a square tower called a cupola with a pointed roof. There are also four brick chimneys. The windows are double-hung sash windows with six small panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom.
The front of the building has seven sections, or bays. There's a covered porch, called a portico, that sticks out from the front. It has a gable roof and is held up by four brick columns covered in stucco. A semi-circular window, called a fanlight, is on the gable end of the porch roof. The main front door has nine glass panes and a window above it called a transom.
Inside the Main Building
When you go inside, there's a hallway in the middle. Stairs lead up to a landing on the second floor, and then more stairs go to the rest of the second floor. The floors are made of heart pine wood. The ceilings have a special design called tongue and groove, and the walls are plaster.
The first floor used to have a kitchen, an office, four classrooms, and a restroom. The second floor had four classrooms and four rooms for students to sleep in, like a dormitory. Old photos show the building was once painted a dark color with white trim. Now, it's painted all white.
The Sullivan Building's Features
The Sullivan Building was named after Paul P. Sullivan. It was built in 1917, about 150 yards (137 meters) northwest of the Main Building. This building is also shaped like an "L" and has two stories. It has a hip roof, which slopes down on all sides. A part of the building on the west side was added later.
The Sullivan Building has unpainted weatherboarding on its outside. It has eight chimneys. The original part of the building has windows with six panes of glass on the top and six on the bottom. The windows in the newer addition have been changed. Some are now shutters, and others have just one pane of glass on the top and one on the bottom.
This building originally had fifteen dormitory rooms for students. Its inside has been changed to fit the needs of the current rafting business. There is also a small shed between the two main buildings.
