History of Friendsville
Friendsville Elementary School was built sometime prior to 1920. The fall term of 1920 marked the beginning of Friendsville High School in the same building with the elementary school. This white frame building was located at the southwest corner of the current school grounds. Mr. Jason Deaton and Miss Serena Polk composed the Friendsville High School faculty. Among the high school students were four young girls entering their junior year. These four young ladies formed the first graduating class in the spring of 1922.
A few weeks after the beginning of the 1922 fall term, the new brick building on the northeast corner of the current school property were completed and the high school moved into it. The first floor of the two-story building contained classrooms, which included a Home Economics Department and a small library but NO indoor plumbing. A combination gymnasium and auditorium were on the second floor. The 1922-23 faculty was made up of Professor Charles L. French as principal, Miss Eva West, Miss Mary Knight, and Miss Stanna Hawkins. Three students graduated in the spring of 1923.
The Class of 1924 graduated 14 students who came from Friendsville and surrounding communities - on foot, on horseback, by horse and buggy. Others came by Louisville and Nashville trains with some boarding in private homes. Each year saw growing numbers of students and graduates. Soon came the building of a separate gymnasium with the old one being used for the library.
In 1948, a new elementary school was built. The oldest building was replaced with a new auditorium in 1955 which served both the elementary and high schools. The basement of the auditorium was used for shop and agriculture classes.
The Bonnie Curtis property adjacent to the school was purchased in 1954. The house was used for the Home Economics Department. A football field was built behind the house. The gymnasium burned in the late 1950s and a new one was built opening in 1960. This building is still being used today. Another purchase was made on the east side of the school grounds. The Ben Curtis home, a two-story white frame house was used as living quarters for the high school janitor and was later converted to classrooms.
1983 saw the opening of a new elementary school. The old elementary school building was torn down. This school served kindergarten through eighth grade until 2001 when William Blount Middle School opened leaving Friendsville Elementary a kindergarten through fifth grade school. In 2009, Union Grove Elementary School opened moving part of the Friendsville population to Union Grove and relieving overcrowding at Friendsville. This same year William Blount Middle moved into a new building and changed its name to Union Grove Middle School. Friendsville is now a feeder school of Union Grove Middle School and Friendsville students go there when they enter sixth grade.