LEWISBURG, (Hinton News) – Welcome to another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. Every week, local history collector William Jones talks about pieces from his vast collection and their significance to local history. This edition is unique in that the subject is only tangentially related to the usual subject matter. Jones discusses the Greenbrier Military Academy, which had students from many locations, including Summers County.
Jones began the discussion by saying, “This week’s piece doesn’t have a direct connection to Summers County. However, it does have an indirect connection to the area in that young boys from Summers County attended The Greenbrier Military School in Lewisburg. At one point in time it was such a prestigious institution that it had not only local boys from all of West Virginia, all of the bordering states, but during World War II, it even had students from Latin America and Cuba.”
This particular institution endured numerous changes and difficulties throughout the years. Jones noted, “The school was founded in 1808 and remained open until 1972. During its 164 years it was in operation it served as a boarding school for young men, grades 7 through 12. In that time the students AKA cadets which they were called were required to have four years of military training. During WW II the school had more than 340 students. For a brief time the school also served these young men to educate them in two years of junior college.”
Unfortunately, the school was continuously open during those years. Wars, fires, and management changes among other things caused some bumps along the road. However, the prestige seemingly remained throughout everything.
“It is considered the oldest privately owned military school in the United States. It was first established by Dr. John McElhenney in 1808. First named Lewisburg Academy, the name was later changed to Greenbrier Military School,” Jones said. “A few noteworthy alumni of the school were Homer A. Holt, the 20th Governor of West Virginia; Mr. Bob Evans class of 1937, the founder and owner of the very successful restaurant chain; and Sheriff Blake, Major League Baseball pitcher. The new building was erected in 1921 and now houses another school that I will discuss a little later in this piece.”
While little information is readily available on the original Lewisburg Academy, it seems to have been quite progressive for its time. According to the official Greenbrier Valley West Virginia website, the school served both men and women. Additionally, classes began in the McElhenny’s living room while the building was in progress.
Later on, the school was split. After closing in during the Civil War, the school reopened in 1875 as the Lewisburg Female Institute. Eventually, McElhenny’s work produced both the Greenbrier Women’s College and the Greenbrier Military Academy.
Seguying into the item of the week, Jones said, “The school was large enough at one time it is plausible to assume that it employed people of Summers County. Just as The Greenbrier Hotel did and is still doing to this day. This early hand drawn charcoal painting you see here is of the cadets at the school somewhere between the 1870s and 1880s. This piece was purchased at a local flea market by Ann Hedrick sometime in the 1980s. Ann was a lifelong resident of Summers County, was my mothers best friend and became a dear friend of mine as well. Please note the difference in the early uniforms in this painting compared to the ones the students wore in the 1930s photograph.”
Jones concluded by saying, “She is one of the many people that helped fuel my love for history and antiques. When she became ill in 2015 she gave me this painting because she knew I would love it and take care of it as she had for 30 some odd years prior. In keeping with its educational structure of housing a place of learning. When the military school closed in 1972 a group of physicians acquired the property and opened what was then known as the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine. After becoming a nationally ranked learning center for osteopathic students the name was changed to what we know today as the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.”
Additionally, the Greenbrier Women’s College campus continues to offer great things to the community. The area now contains the New River Community and Technical College Lewisburg campus. Also, some of the buildings now contain Carnegie Hall and North House.
We have come to the end of another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. The information listed here is nothing more than a brief look at the vast history surrounding John McElhenny’s schools. For more in-depth information, take a look at the Greenbrier Military School Alumni Association’s website where a full history is listed.
Be sure to check back next week for another look at the area’s past with William Jones.
Do you have a story from local history that you would like to share? Send us an email to news@hintonnews.com.
