Sharon Petro (left) was busy giving history lessons at the academy on Saturday. 

By Charlotte Underwood

SPEEDWELL, TN (WLAF) – The Historic Speedwell Academy held a Holiday Open House over the last two weekends. A toasty fireplace and hot cider greeted the steady stream of visitors who came to hear the history of the school, which was erected in 1827.  Local Kenneth Powell gave brief history lessons to those who stopped to listen.

The academy was founded by George Shutter, a German immigrant from Pennsylvania. Originally an all-male school, it went coed around the turn of the century, and both boys and girls attended. It was at this time it became known as the Speedwell Academy. During the Civil War, the academy was the headquarters for General Felix K. Zollicoffer. During later Civil War years, it was used as a hospital. The upstairs of the building functioned as a church for many years as well.

The Historic Speedwell Academy held a holiday open house over the weekend. According to history, Civil War soldiers once used the weather vane atop the building for “target practice.” 

The county managed the school from early 1900 until 1970 when many of the small rural schools were closed.  It is currently maintained by a board of trustees that have formed a nonprofit corporation called Speedwell Academy Incorporated. Its sole purpose is the “restoration and preservation of the building.”

According to the history of the academy, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995 for its “significance to the social and educational history of Claiborne County.”  It is also on the Tennessee Heritage Trail. Support for the preservation “poured in from all over the country, primarily from former teachers, students and their descendants.”

Local Kenneth Powell (right) shares some of the history of the historic Speedwell Academy. 

The building is open for tours, exhibits and educational programs, even parties, according to Sharon Petro who was also on hand for history lessons at Saturday’s open house. Parties and receptions can be booked at no charge, but free will donations to help with the upkeep of the building are welcome.

For more information regarding reserving the Speedwell Academy, call 423-912-2325 or 423-871-2784. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 12/17/2019-6AM)

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