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Waverly High School in 1950

Waverly High School in 1950 view from the air. Raidger football field is named after Bob Raidger, Waverly high school gradate and Ohio State University basketball star.

Waverly High School

Waverly High School about 1960

Here is what a former student wrote to me:

"When my parents and I moved to Waverly, I started going to Waverly High School in 1981, I felt free there. Why I felt free at Waverly High School, because the school was old, it had wooded floors, wooden college type desks and the windows that opens and I felt free in those classrooms because we could have those windows open and nice breeze of air would blow right in and I could hear the traffic from the highways and I just felt free there and it was really nice. When I was going to the brand new high school in Annapolis, Md. the school had air conditioning systems and you could not open windows and you felt like a prisoner there and most of the classrooms were in the middle of the school where there was no windows, just block walls.

At Waverly High School, I felt free!

I really liked that school and I was really saddened to hear they tore it down.

I had a lot of good memories there and I will never forget that I used to sit there by those windows and feel the breeze coming through the windows in those classrooms.

I also used like to watch all the traffic coming through the highway into Waverly.

I also remember sitting in Ms. Taylor's class who she was an English teacher there, her classroom was in the east side corner on second floor with her windows facing the highway, her class room had the most beautiful view and the most breeze coming through her windows."

Waverly East School 1954-1989: grades 1-8, 1989-2004: grades K-2 sketch by Eleanor Fujita

Waverly East School 1954-1989: grades 1-8, 1989-2004: grades K-2

Waverly North School 1961-1989: grades 1-8, 1989-2004: grades 6-8 sketch by Eleanor Fujita

Waverly West School 1957-1989: grades 1-8, 1989-2004: grades 3-5 sketch by Eleanor Fujita

Old German School that was connected with the Church located across the street which is now the Pike County Museum.

SHORT HISTORY OF OUR SCHOOLS
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LIST OF SUPERINTENDENT WHO WIELDED BIRCH FOR PAST 70 YEARS
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The approaching completion of the new school building in Waverly serves as a convenient peg on which to hang the garment of a more or less accurate sketch of Waverly schools in the past century. It seems hardly possible that our educational system has attained the respectable status of more than a century of achievement, yet the first school house in this vicinity was built near the canal, some time before 1820, the Hon. James Emmitt being one of the most illustrious attendants. In 1822, a second building was erected, one mile southeast of Waverly, and in 1824 still another was constructed on the Chillicothe pike, a quarter mile out. All three of these structures were made of logs, with the traditional fireplace at one end, greased paper windows, and split log floor, benches and desks.
About 1833, a frame school house was built on East Second street which was more pretentious and boasted board floors and glass windows. It is now in use as a residence. In 1844, a brick building was constructed on the site of the present jail, two stories high, containing four rooms. The building itself cost some eighteen hundred dollars and the equipment was poor. The enrollment at that period was 114 pupils.

The schools were reorganized and a superintendent appointed in 1854, who had charge of three teachers, a fourth teacher being added in 1863. Samuel Bartley was at the head of the schools at this period. The village then had a population of 700 and the school enrollment was 198, although the average attendance was only 101
A rapid increase in population soon rendered the old quarters inadequate and in 1865, at a special election, it was decided to purchase a new site and erect a building. The location of the proposed edifice aroused bitter controversy amount the inhabitants the line of division, physical and argumentative, being the canal. The north side won by a small majority and the present site was acquired, apart by purchase from Mr. Clough, for $1130.00, and the remainder by donation from Hon. James Emmitt. On this new location the building now in use was built at the cost of $28,000.00.

Samuel Bartley, the first superintendent, had charge of the school in 1854, 1856, 1859, and 1864. By 1871, under the supervision of D. T. Clover, the teaching staff had increased to six. W. O. Hopkins succeeded Mr.. Clover in 1871-1872 and from 1872 to 1878, C. T. McCoy had charge. J. C. Harper, who had directed the schools for four months in 1872, returned for a year in 1878, and for the next five years, J. C. Campbell was at the helm.

In 1884 the high school was organized under the principalship of James A. Douglas, the entire ten departments of the system being in charge of F. H. Dewart until 1877, when he was succeeded as superintendent by Mr. Douglas, who served until 1895. Names more familiar to the present generation now begin to appear on the roster of superintendents. W. M. Clayton followed Mr. Douglas and his successor, in 1899, was F. E. Reynolds who gave way to J. P. West in 1902. The office of superintendent has as a rule in the past twenty years been occupied only for short periods: Mr. West from 1904 to 1906, Mr. Henderson form 1906 to 1909, Mr. Schumacher form 1909 to 1912, Mr. Ferree form 1912 to 1913, O. B. Clifton from 1913 to 1914, Mr. Bowsher from 1914 to 1920--a notable exception to the tendency to short terms-- Mr. Hatcher form 1920 to 1923. The incumbent is Mr. Floyd Deacon, a native of Pike county. 11 Oct 1923 The Republican Herald