The Old Randleman School
The Randleman Graded School was established 1904-1906 on land donated by Mr. John H. Ferree, an early industrialist of Randleman.
Costing $15,000, the building was constructed of bricks made at Hinshaw’s Forks, south of Whitehall. (Whitehall is the area located near the junction of 311 and 220.) Enrollment during the first year was 440 students. Mortar for the bricks was made from sand dug from Deep River.
The Randleman School was the first brick school in Randolph County to be built with public funds. Mr. John L. Harris was the school’s first principal.
County funds were used in 1914 to repair the building after a tornado damaged the roof. In that same year, and a vocational agriculture department was added.
The first commencement for the first eleven years graduating class was held in 1916.
In 1926, a special tax rate of fifty cents was voted for building expansion. This resulted in the construction of ten additional rooms, central heat, plumbing, and the beginning of the department of home economics.
On October 4, 1926, Mr. J.W. McElhannon, chairman of the local board, presented a petition to the County Board of Education form Randleman’s school to become a part of the county system. This was accepted by a special act of the State Legislature in 1927. Randleman School then ceased to be a special charter school.
Soon known as the “Tin Can,” the first gymnasium in the county was built behind the school in 1928.