Women Active in Starting Rosman Schools

Methodist Church and 5-room school  in center at tree-line.

The first school in the Rosman area was a subscription school at the old Zion Church on the south side of the river.  Begun in the late-1850’s the school only operated for a few weeks each year.   Around 1900 the school was moved to the larger Presbyterian (later Methodist) Church across the river.

Elizabeth Silversteen and other women in the community took active roles in helping establish quality schools in Rosman.  Mrs. Silversteen petitioned the county for funds.  The Rosman Literary Society, with Elizabeth Silversteen as president, Lizzie Glazener, vice-president and Olivia Whitmire, secretary held fundraisers to provide for the school.  A March 5, 1909 Sylvan Valley News article states that a cake made by Mrs. A.O. Kitchens sold for $140.70 at a box supper.

Joseph Silversteen donated the property for the construction of a 5-room wooden school building.  It included elementary through high school students.  However, Rosman’s booming population quickly outgrew this school. 

Left:  1927 Rosman High School  Right:  1919 Rosman School

In 1919 the first brick school was constructed for $25,000.  The high school became accredited in 1923.  In 1925 school buses helped bring even more students to the Rosman School and once again there was a need for additional space.

So another brick school was constructed as the high school, grades 8-11, in 1927.  The lower grades remained in the original brick building.

Home Economics and Agriculture were added to the curriculum in 1927.  Beginning in the 1930s students could get lunch from the school cafeteria.   In 1949 business education classes were introduced.  The first football team was organized in 1959 with Bill Cathey as head coach.  Art and band classes were added during the 1972-73 school year.

Rosman High School’s first annual was published in 1948.  Although in 1947 a “homemade” annual was created.  A copy of that annual was recently donated to the library.  The library has many additional RHS annuals but a few years are missing.  If you have annuals you would be willing to donate to the Local History collection please contact us.  Annuals from 1948-1962 can be viewed online at digitalnc.org.

Across from the school was the Southern Grill, owned by Wilma Moore from the 1940’s through the early 1960’s.  It was a popular hang-out for students, where they could play their favorite music on the jukebox and dance.

Over the year the Rosman School has expanded and been remodeled many times.  Students in all grades were housed on the same location (although in separate buildings) until Rosman Elementary opened in the fall of 1975 across the river.  In 1975 the two original brick buildings were torn down.

Sources for this article included A History of...Estatoe Ford, Jeptha, Toxaway, Estatoe...Rosman, North Carolina compiled by Rebecca Suddeth and “Rosman High Through the Years” by Amber Broome, published in the Transylvania Times, December 27, 1999.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.

Originally the school cafeteria, this building later served as the first Rosman School gym.  The photograph is from a 1938 Transylvania County Schools Insurance Survey.