Coffee High School (Alabama)
| Coffee High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public high school |
| Opened | 1914 |
| Closed | 2004 |
Coffee High School was a public high school established in 1914 in Florence, Alabama. After the 2003–2004 school year, the school merged with Bradshaw High School to form Florence High School.[1]
History
[edit]Coffee High School was founded in 1914 as the first public high school in Florence. Classes were first held in a rented antebellum home on North Pine Street, in the Sannoner Historic District. The school moved to another home before a permanent building on Jackson Highway (now Hermitage Drive) was completed in 1917. At the time, the school had 400 students; the first senior class graduated in 1918 with 11 students. By the late 1940s, Florence's growth fueled by the construction of Wilson Dam and the Tennessee Valley Authority's potassium nitrate plants had overcrowded Coffee. Classes were held in split sessions in the morning and afternoon.
A new campus was completed in 1951.[2] After continued growth, a second high school, Bradshaw High, was opened in 1966, for youth in the eastern parts of the city.[3] But in the 1980s, due to economic decline in the area, the population of families with young people likewise fell, ending the need for two schools. As such, the Florence City Schools merged Coffee and Bradshaw in 2004 into Florence High School, which took up residence on the old Bradshaw campus.[1]
Original building
[edit]Coffee High School | |
| Location | 319 Hermitage Dr., Florence, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°48′29″N 87°40′34″W / 34.80806°N 87.67611°W |
| Area | 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Richard G. Deacon |
| Demolished | 1980s |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002045[4] |
| Added to NRHP | February 4, 1982 |
Coffee's original building was constructed on land donated to the city by Camilla M. Coffee. The building was near the campus of the State Normal School at Florence (today known as the University of North Alabama). The structure was two stories with a full basement. The main entrance opened into the auditorium, and behind it were three wings of classrooms with an open courtyard in the center. A flight of stairs led to the entry portico, which had three arched openings supporting a limestone entablature. On the front-facing gable end was a boxed cornice with returns. The classroom wings featured pairs of twelve-over-twelve sash windows. Between every other pair of windows were full-height pilasters, with shallow shed awnings over each group.[5]
After Coffee moved to a new building about 1/4 mile (400 m) away in 1951, the building was used for Appleby Junior High School. It was demolished in the 1980s after being heavily damaged by fire.[3]
Second building
[edit]Coffee's second building on Hermitage Drive was built in 1951 when the school outgrew its first building. It was built adjacent to Braly Municipal Stadium, which was constructed in the 1940s, and has served as the home of the North Alabama Lions football team; the Coffee, Bradshaw, and now Florence High School football teams; and hosted the NCAA Division II Football Championship final from 1986 until 2014.[6] Since the merger with Bradshaw, the campus has been used for Florence Middle School and Freshman Center.
Notable alumni
[edit]- Ronnie Flippo, former U.S. congressman[7]
- Patterson Hood, musician [8]
See also
[edit]- Burrell Normal School (1903–1969), a private Black school in Florence, Alabama
References
[edit]- ^ a b Edwards, Mitch, ed. (May 2005). "Pomp and Circumstance Marks School's First Graduation" (PDF). Alabama Education News. 28 (9): 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ McDonald, J. E. (1979). "The History of Coffee (High School) Florence, Alabama". Archived from the original on October 19, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Mahan, Pat M. (ed.). "Schools of Lauderdale County, Alabama". ALGenWeb. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ Mertins, Ellen; Steve Dinges; Stephanie Stevens (June 1981). "Coffee High School". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014. See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived (PDF) from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ Tidwell, JR (May 30, 2011). "Braly Stadium is key part in Lions football tradition". The Flor-Ala. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
- ^ Brett Derbes. "Encyclopedia of Alabama".
- ^ "Patterson Hood: The Bitter Southerner Interview".