A Brief History of Harmony School
It was about the year 1906 when the citizens of Harmony realized that the district school was not meeting the educational needs of the boys and girls in the northern section of Iredell County; so by uniting their efforts and means they succeeded in building the Harmony Academy where boys and girls were given elementary training and two years of high school instru
ction. It was not until 1916 that the school became a four year state accredited high school. As the classes grew from year to year, it was soon realized that the old academy would no longer meet the growing educational demand; therefore, in 1922 a two story brick building was erected. The high school was rightfully called Harmony Farm Life School, for in addition to the academic subjects, courses were offered in agriculture and home economics in separate building provided by their departments. The agriculture department was added in 1917, and at that time there were only three departments of its kind in the state, Harmony being one of the three. In 1928 the name of the school was changed to Harmony High School. Instead of agricultural training on the school farm, the Smith-Hughes Act provided for a vocational agriculture department and the present method of instruction – the home projects method. About the same time the George-Reed Act made possible a broader course of home economics training by providing for the home visitation and project method of instruction. In the late ‘20’s, a teacher-training department was added, a one-year course. This class was popular and many who completed this course completed their college training and became outstanding teachers. The training class was discontinued in 1929. In 1930 a commercial department was added. This department has proved one of the most valuable assets to the school. Many of our students who graduated were prepared to take positions as soon as they left school. Our school grew rapidly, from 263 pupils in 1918-19 to 789 in 1960-61. This increase in enrollment made necessary the er****on of three additional buildings for instructional purposes. Much of the credit for this continued progress is due to the public-spirited citizens within the school district. In 1966, two consolidated high schools were constructed in Iredell County. One school was located near Troutman and was named South Iredell High School, and another was located near Olin and was named North Iredell High School. Students from Harmony High School were transferred to North Iredell High School, and Harmony High School became Harmony Elementary School. The last class to graduate from Harmony High School was the class of 1966. In 1970 the two story high school was torn down and now a beautiful one story building is located just in front of the former building. The old school bell has been placed in a position of honor on the campus. We remember with appreciation the many teachers who led us through the paths of learning. Their dedication to their profession and their ability to give their pupils a measure of self-confidence has left an indelible impression.
