Anne Chesnutt Middle School
Encyclopedia
Anne Chesnutt Middle School is a year-round middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and is part of Cumberland County Schools
Cumberland County Schools
Cumberland County Schools is a school district encompassing the entirety of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.Cumberland County Schools' headquarters are located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Cumberland County Schools has schools located in all cities and towns of Cumberland County...
in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It is the only year-round middle school other than Reid Ross Classical School (although Reid Ross is a grade 6-12 classical school) in the county. It serves students grades 6-8 and feeds into Seventy-First High and Westover High Schools.
History
Anne Chesnutt Middle School is located west of the Cape Fear River
Cape Fear River
The Cape Fear River is a long blackwater river in east central North Carolina in the United States. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The overall water quality of the river is continuously measured and monitored by and conducted by the , , and the...
at 2121 Skibo Road, Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
. The school was founded by Professor Edward A. Armstrong, Principal of Cumberland County
Cumberland County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 302,963 people, 107,358 households, and 77,619 families residing in the county. The population density was 464 people per square mile . There were 118,425 housing units at an average density of 181 per square mile...
Training School.
African-American students on the west side of the river were attending school on the east side of the river; therefore, the construction of a second high school was greatly needed due to the crowded transportation and great distance the high school students traveled. Consequently, construction of Anne Chesnutt High School was begun in 1938 on Raeford Road southwest of Fayetteville with students entering the school in 1939 with grades eight through eleven. The school was named in honor of Mrs. Anne Chesnutt Waddell, Supervisor of County Education for Negro Schools.
Mr. Armstrong served as the first principal of the new frame constructed building. The school plant had several classrooms and an auditorium; cafeteria facilities were later added. The grades eight through eleven were changed in 1945 to grades nine through twelve.
Mr. William E. Murphy replaced Mr. Armstrong as principal in 1945. He continued to serve the school until his retirement in 1969. It was during his period of service that a modern brick building was constructed in 1957 on Highway 401 By-Pass (Skibo Road). The learning process is ongoing in that expanded facility.
From 1969 until 1975 the school facilitated ninth grade students only. Mr. William R. Hill served as the first principal of Anne Chesnutt Junior High School. During his tenure, the transition from racial segregation to integration was made. In order to accommodate the growing population, a new cafeteria was added. From 1969 until 1975, the school served ninth-grade students only.
In 1975. the school underwent more changes. It grew to accommodate grades seven through nine. On July 1 of that year, Mr. Gerald C. Patterson, former graduate of Anne Chesnutt High School, became the fourth principal in the short history of the school. After authorization by the Cumberland County Board of Education, a self study was initiated during April, 1976 for the purpose of becoming accredited by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and the School Association of Colleges and Schools.
Mr. Wayne F. Byrd took the administrative helm from 1982-1988 as the first Caucasian principal. Mr. Byrd was accredited for creating a positive image of Anne Chesnutt Junior High throughout the local community. Continued progress was experienced during his administration.
Ernest L. Freeman, a native of Cumberland County, served as principal from 1988-1995. A facilities program added new science labs, a computer lab, a more spacious media center, guidance offices, storage rooms, teachers' planning room and lounge, and an educational diagnostic center. Also, the transition from junior high school to middle school for grades six through eight was made in 1995.
Mr. Charles Hubbard, who assumed the position in 1996, initiated and supported growth through technological advancements. A choice program was established in Cumberland County which allowed Anne Chesnutt Middle School to choose a year-round schedule with a uniform dress code in 2000 for grades six through eight.
Dr. Marcia McMullin was named the principal of Anne Chesnutt Year-Round Middle School in 2001. She is the first principal with a doctorate and the first female to fill this position.
Mr. Hatch, the newest Principal, was welcomed the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year.
In 2010, Mrs. Tanjai Robertson, an Asst. Principal at Seventy-First High School, came to be the principal.