Euharlee School

Euharlee School

In the late 1800s, the Rockmart School System operated out of Zion Hill First Baptist Church. After a storm destroyed the church in the early 1900s, a four-room school was constructed on the same site. By the early 20th century, the school system expanded, establishing schools in Rockmart (1912) and Van Wert (1918).

In 1922, plans began for a new school to serve the African American communities of Rockmart, Aragon, and Van Wert. A site in Newtown, on the west side of town, was selected. Construction began in 1928 on an eight-classroom building named Euharlee School. The school’s first trustees were Mr. Cornelius Sprattling and Mr. James Adrine, and Mr. Howard served as the first principal. Euharlee School initially served grades 1 through 7.

Between 1940 and 1943, the Rockmart School System merged into the Polk County School District, which included Aragon, Braswell, Cedartown, and Taylorsville. At this time, Euharlee School was renamed Elm Street High School and began serving students in grades 9 through 12.

Desegregation at Elm Street

Before the racial integration of the Polk County School District, the town was home to two high schools: Rockmart High School and Elm Street High School, which operated as a segregated school.

In 1954, Industrial Arts was introduced to Elm Street’s curriculum. That same year, a new gymnasium was constructed, and the class of 1954 became the first to graduate from the new building. The school continued to expand in 1959 with the addition of another building, which housed administrative offices for the principal as well as classrooms for Home Economics and Business Science.

By 1964, increasing enrollment created a need for more space. The county school system acquired and demolished 16 houses surrounding the school to make way for a new addition, a parking lot, and an athletics field. Construction was completed in 1966, which also saw the hiring of additional teachers and the introduction of a band and music program. The desegregation of the Polk County School District began in 1966, when some African American students enrolled at Rockmart High School. Full integration was achieved in 1967 with the closure of Elm Street High School.

Unfortunate Future

In 1970, after serving as a county school storage facility and bus depot for three years, the Elm Street school buildings were reopened as Elm Street Middle School, once again serving grades 6 through 8 for local communities. By the early 2000s, the school expanded to include grades 1 through 8 and a Pre-K program, leading to its renaming as Euharlee School. It ultimately closed its doors for the final time in 2008.

In 2013, the Northwest Georgia Housing Authority (NWGHA) purchased the Euharlee School property in Rockmart for $71,000, intending to transform the former school into senior living accommodations and by 2017, the NWGHA had secured $780,000 in state and federal tax credits to develop housing on the former Elm Street School and Euharlee Kindergarten sites. These funds were designated for the construction of new residential units to address local housing needs.

At a 2020 city hall meeting, it was announced that the former Elm Street School campus would be demolished to make way for 32 new apartments.

Gallery Below of Euharlee School

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