History with ‘Hud’: Turning back the clock to one of Wilmington’s oldest surviving schools
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A brand new school year is underway across the Cape Fear, with most students returning to the classroom this week. While Wilmington has several old school buildings around the city, one along Ann Street has been educating longer than most of the rest.
Tileston School welcomed its first students in 1872. The elementary school was founded by Amy Morris Bradley, who was an influential educator in North Carolina following service as a nurse during the Civil War.
Bradley initially took charge of a school known as “The Wilmington Mission”, eventually contacting a wealthy friend, Mary Tileston Hemenway, to help begin a new establishment.
Once completed, Bradley became the school’s first principal and taught many distinguished Wilmington residents, including Henry Bacon (who would go on to design the Lincoln Memorial) and future president Woodrow Wilson. Her legacy continued long after her death in 1904, with the Amy Bradley medal still given to the New Hanover High School graduate with the highest academic average.
Around the time Bradley stopped teaching at Tileston, the school received a name change in 1897 to the Wilmington High School, becoming the first public high school in the state. The familiar columns and front steps were added in 1910.
The school remained the main site for local children to learn until New Hanover High School was completed across town in 1922. At that point Wilmington High School returned to its elementary roots, educating children through ninth grade.
Students up through sixth grade would stay in one classroom all day learning a variety of subjects. Once students reached seventh grade, they began changing rooms and teachers throughout the day. This continued until 1986 when the school discontinued its public status.
St. Mary Catholic Church bought the property from the City of Wilmington in 1988 for $17,000. Renovations were completed, and it still operates as a private Catholic School across the street from the church. Numerous community groups and nonprofits also call the structure home.
A lot has changed in the more than a century since students began being educated inside the original brick structure. But the basic fundamentals behind helping young children learn and grow continues each day.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
