Ashland Elementary School - a city school built in 1916 on North Ashland Avenue. The school was named after the Ashland Stud Farm, owned by Henry Clay. Etta B. Coons, Principal, reported “the city continued to grow to the East and portions of the county were incorporated. The county had built a small frame structure on Ashland Avenue for schools purposes but after this section was taken into the city, the Board of Education saw the necessity of giving the children in this community a larger building and of relieving Maxwell. So the lot on which Ashland School stands was purchased and construction of the building started in 1916.” While the school was under construction, spilt session classes were held in the Maxwell School (Maxwell students in the morning and Ashland students in the afternoon).
The school opened on January 29, 1917. In 1922 and 1927, two four-room additions were added to the building. The school’s principals included C. W. Bailey (1916-17), Etta B. Coons (1917-40), Jeanette Patts (1940-56), Annabelle Brewer (1956-63), Dorothy Friend (1963-66) and Florence Hickey (1966-69). This building was demolished in 1971 and a new school was built on the site. The school reopened in August 1972. [i]
Ashland Elementary School, 2010 <Ambrose>
[i] A Brief Account of Fayette County’s Elementary Schools, 1969-70 and Fayette County School’s website.
