In the early 1800’s, Barns May had a 260-acre homestead in what is now know as the Greenwood Community of Washington County. On May 28, 1858, Jacob May, son of Barns May, deeded one-half acre of land on which a schoolhouse was to be erected to trustees, John Walter, Milton Dulaney and Elisha Fine.
The first structure was a log schoolhouse called Mays School. In later years, this building burned and was replaced with a larger building. The school was called Greenwood School, but it is not sure when or why the school received this name.
Greenwood School was rated early as a secondary school with grades one through twelve. It was later changed to eight grades, and students continued their education at Lamar or Jonesboro schools.
When first built, this school served the community not only for educational purposes, but also for church, voting center, and other community activities. Methodist and Baptist ministers would come from Jonesboro and hold revivals during this time. Some of the converts would then join the Jonesboro Churches of their particular faith or denomination. Sometimes monthly services were held when a minister could be obtained. In 1896, the people decided to build a regular church building, and from that the Eden Methodist Episcopal Church North was organized and built. A number of the May and Dulaney descendents still attend and are members of this church.
After school was discontinued, the schoolhouse still served the community as a Community Club Center and a Boy Scout Club House.
After the building burned in the 1960’s, Wesley Dulaney and Remer Fine met with the Washington County School Board and were able to get the property deeded to the Eden United Methodist Church.
From the files of the Holston Conference of the Methodist Church Archives, Kelly Library, Emory & Henry College, Emory, VA.