Pine Mountain Settlement School
Series 01: HISTORIES
HISTORY Early Description of PMSS
By Anonymous, Possibly Ruth Gaines
“Aunt Sal’s Day, 1930. Mrs. Wilder, Squire Creech, Miss Gaines, Norma, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Creech, Woodrow, Edmund Napier.” [kingman_074a.jpg]
TAGS: Early description of PMSS, Ruth B. Gaines, Pine Mountain Settlement School, PMSS histories, Elhannon Murphy Nolan, built environment, Big Log, Laurel House, Far House, Horace E. McSwain, Masonic Lodges, Masons, Freemasons, round tables in Laurel House
The note regarding the “round tables” is important, as the age of the unique round tables at Pine Mountain was not fully known. This indicates that they were made early in the history of the school to fill the dining room of Laurel House I. When that building burned in 1939, the tables were some of the few things saved from the fire and many of today’s tables date from those early founding years.
PINE MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENT SCHOOL
Established early part of year 1913 — By Miss Catherine [sic] Pettit from Lexington, KY. Miss Ethy [sic] DeLong (who later married Mr. Zande). Miss E. [Ruth] Gaines — North Carolina.
John Clyde Lewis — the first studints [sic] that intered [sic] the school. Joined a month later by Charles Frame.
The school rented Mr. Ell Nolan’s [Elhannon Murphy Nolan] home and store building which had a Masons lodge hall on the second floor. We also had a large tent, where I slept along [with] Mr. [Horace] McSwain who managed the farm and supervised the erection of the first buildings. The first one built was Big Log House which Miss Pettit made into her headquarters. In it she lived until her death. I moved in with her and slept on the third floor along with the several other boys.
The next building was the Far House where the big girls lived along with the little ones. The third building was the Laurell [sic] House which became the kitchen & dineing [sic] room.
The dineing room had 12 round tables in it. That seated 12 people.
Anonymous, likely written by Ruth B. Gaines, PMSS housemother from 1913-1932.
See Also:
BUILT ENVIRONMENT Guide
HISTORIES PMSS Guide
Biographies:
RUTH B. GAINES Staff
HORACE E. McSWAIN Staff
ELHANNON MURPHY NOLAN Community
KATHERINE PETTIT Director
ETHEL de LONG ZANDE Director
