Twenty-eight years ago the public school system of Gilmer Independent
School District was well established and the community felt that
splendid progress had been made in free public schools. The High School
building, which is still in use, was built in 1915, and used for the
Gilmer high school classes for the first time in the term of 1915-16.
The graduating class of 1916 was the first class to graduate in the new
building.
Previous to that year, the entire school, from the first to the eleventh
grade had been housed in the red brick school house on Scott Street,
which has become known to the present generation as the “Old Ward
School.” Mr. I. A. Costen was superintendent of the Gilmer public
schools at that time.
In 1931, conditions again became crowded in the Gilmer High School and
changes in methods and curriculum, and teaching made a gymnasium almost
a necessity, so another building was erected on the high school campus.
This building, now known as the high school gym, was built to house the
home economics department, band room, a large gymnasium and dressing
room and auditorium. A commodious stage is also in the building, and the
gymnasium and auditorium serve for almost every large function in
Gilmer.
The next building program was inaugurated in 1938 when Gilmer
Parent-Teacher Association pointed out the crowded condition and
anticipated facilities in the old ward school. In 1915 this building was
crowded with eleven grades, but in 1938 it was too crowded for seven
grades. There are two outstanding reasons for this growth. One was the
discovery of oil in Upshur County, which increased Gilmer’s population,
and another was the compulsory attendance law, which requires every
child to attend school until they are sixteen years old. Twenty-five
years ago, a child could stop school any time their parents gave their
consent. After the movement had been thoroughly publicized by the P.-T.
A. a bond election was held and the present handsome ward school
building was erected in 1938. It was opened for school use with the
September term of that year. In 1941, the old red building was torn down
and the material salvaged to be incorporated with new material to build
a Negro school in the southern part of the city.
Twenty-eight years ago, Gilmer had just become an Affiliated School with
16 credits. Now the Gilmer High School offers 36½ units of accredited
subjects to their pupils, and each student can choose the most of his
subjects.