Charleston Day School

Charleston Day is a coeducational day school in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It was founded in 1937 by Mary Stuart and Emily Tenney, who headed the institution for many years. Students today number 266 strong and range in grade level from 1st grade to 8th grade.HistoryFounded in 1937 by Mary Stuart and Emily Tenney, Charleston Day School with a mission to create a tradition of academic excellence and strong moral values.Charleston Day School opened its doors on South Battery to fourteen students in five grades in 1937. The new school quickly outgrew its home on the Battery, so it relocated to a new facility on the corner of Elliot Street and Bedon’s Alley.As the demands of the school expanded, the founders recognized the need to restructure the administration, and in 1969, a Board of Trustees was established to oversee the school as a nonprofit corporation. Miss Stuart and Miss Tenney retired in 1971 and were followed by Wallace Frampton, whose tenure saw the move to a larger site on State Street in 1973.In 1974, he was succeeded by Edgar S. Jaycocks, whose tenure saw the construction of the Founders’ Wing in 1981.By the 1980s, the school needed room to grow. When the College Preparatory School (now Mason Preparatory School) campus on Archdale Street became available in 1986, the Board of Trustees voted to purchase the property. Ten years later, the administrative building at 9 Archdale Street was converted into a Middle School facility for seventh and eighth graders. Additional renovations to the main classroom building expanded the library and created dedicated math, computer and French classrooms. The purchase of the two houses south of the campus provided additional administrative space as well as a campus residence for a Facilities Director. The completion of the Kenan Music and Arts Center in 2001 and the creation of a new playground in 2004 have further enhanced the campus.