Will Knowles School Be Again Neglected? (1907)
What is to be done with Knowles School, is a question the taxpayers of the third ward are now awaiting an answer from the school board and the city fathers. Long ago it was deemed the most unfit building in the list of buildings now used for school purposes. The city concurred in this and accordingly the building inspector considered it as an unfit house for a school more than two years ago. It seems that the authorities have only paid enough attention to this condemnation to prop up the sides that were leaning and in a falling condition with large scantlings. The residents in that part of Nashville would not be at all surprised if some morning they would awake and find that the building had fallen of its own weight. There can certainly be no complaint that the house has not served its owners well, for like the giant oak of the forest, it has stood the storms of many severe winters, and the beat of some long summers. It has given good account of itself as a school, for it is said that Roger Williams was among the first schools to occupy it, when it was called “The Baptist College.” Some of the old residents say the building has been in active service for about 46 years. When the college was moved the building was used as a district school until the city grew and took up the district, making it a city school, for which services it now appears to be unfit. This is not the only reason the building should be abandoned as a city school. One important thing that renders it unfit is its most undesirable and most awkward location; it borders the territory which it is supposed to serve. It is almost impossible to reach the school with a wagon or buggy even in summer. The pedestrians find they have quite a bargain to get over the rocks and crags – to reach the building.
The citizens of the third ward are on bended knees, asking the authorities to not only remodel the building but to move it on a better street, say either Jackson or Jefferson, between Twelfth avenue, North and Eighteenth avenue North, and Eighteenth avenue, North. Either of these would balance up the distance for children coming from the end of Jefferson street or from the extreme northwest. The neighborhood is adapted to school purposes. There are hundreds of Negro families, all owning their own property, living in the vicinty just described. Move and rebuild Knowles School for Greater Nashville’s sake.
A meeting of parents and taxpayers of the third ward has been called for an early date to take such step as will properly bring the matter up for consideration this spring and summer. Those having children attending the school are being urged to be present, lest they may be forced to take out accident policies for their children attending Knowles School in its present unsafe condition.
Source: Nashville Globe. 18 January 1907. Available online at Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers