Glynn Academy

Glynn Academy is the second-oldest high school in Georgia, older than all except for the Academy of Richmond County in Augusta. Glynn Academy is located in Brunswick, Georgia in Glynn County.

Founding

On February 1, 1788, Glynn Academy was created by an act of the General Assembly of Georgia, making Glynn Academy the second-oldest high school in Georgia. For more than a century, the name "Glynn Academy" embraced all grades of the public school from beginners through graduation. In 1888, one hundred years after the founding of Glynn Academy, the records show a graduating class consisting of four girls and two boys.

The old Glynn Academy building

The first recorded building was built in 1819 on a five-acre tract of land known as Academy Range and cost $10,000 to construct. A new building was erected in 1840 on Hillsborough Square, the present location of Glynn Academy. For more than fifty years this building served as the only public school building in Brunswick. It subsequently was moved to Sterling, in northern Glynn County, around 1915. There it served as a consolidated school for African-American students before desegregation.

When rebuilt in Sterling, the building required very little new material since the original timbers were found to be in excellent condition. State records show that it is the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the State of Georgia [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors=TERESA STEPZINSKI |title= Historic Glynn County school building is back home: |url= http://news.jacksonville.com/justin/2008/06/10/historic-glynn-county-school-building-is-back-home/ |work=The Florida Times-Union |publisher= |date= 2008-06-10 |accessdate=2008-10-06 ] . This building was also site to a famous duel in Georgia's history, with Col. Carey W. Styles coming out as the victor. Colonel Styles later went on to found the Atlanta Constitution in 1866. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors=Jane Macon |title= Glynn Academy History |url= http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/glynn/schools/glynnacad/index.htm |work= |publisher= |date= 1952-07-02 |accessdate=2008-10-06 ]

In 2008, the old Glynn Academy building was relocated back to the Glynn campus in downtown Brunswick, where it will serve as an interpretive museum. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= National Trust for Historic Preservation: Brunswick, GA: |url= http://my.preservationnation.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr007=rnhc3j8l22.app14b&page=NewsArticle&id=7871&news_iv_ctrl=-1 |work=National Trust for Historic Preservation |publisher= |date= 2008-05-02 |accessdate=2008-10-06 ] .

The next location of Glynn Academy was the present Annex building, which was erected in 1889. The Annex Building was severely damaged as a result of a fire on August 19, 2005 [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= Glynn Academy building burns |url= http://www.glynncountyfiredept.org/Newsroom/2005/2005.08.19_Glynn_Academy_building_burns_TBN.htm |work=The Brunswick News |publisher= |date= 2005-08-19 |accessdate=2008-10-06 ] and has since been remodeled.

At the end of World War I, it was decided that a new school building should be erected as a memorial to the men of Glynn County who participated in the war. Funds were raised through a bond election, and the present Glynn Academy Building was completed in September 1923 and recent renovation was completed in 1999. The architect, Hendrik Wallin, carried out the memorial idea by using as his motif the architectural design of the celebrated Louvain Library [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_University_of_Leuven#Library] in Belgium, whose destruction by the Germans infuriated the civilized world.

The Liberty Bell

The bell, which stands in front of the Glynn Academy Building is mounted on a red brick base. This base was designed by a mechanical drawing class. It weighs about 2,000 pounds and is a close replica of the Liberty Bell in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This bell which was cast in bronze in 1897 by McShane Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland, was first used as a part of a bell system in the clock tower of old City Hall until the 1930s.

The Glynn Academy Student Council of 1968-1969 began efforts to find and erect a Liberty Bell on campus found the bell in the City Garage on Bay Street. With the help of the Brunswick Fire Department and numerous businessmen, parents and students the project was completed during the 1969-1970 school year. The plaque on the base of the bell stand reads: "Erected by the Student Councils 1968-1969 and 1969-1970".

The current campus

The campus has changed drastically over time. Currently there are 6 permanent buildings that house classrooms, two gyms, a weight room and a cafeteria. The campus spans across two blocks and includes the Sidney Lanier building(previously an elementary school dating back to around 1937), The Prep building, (previously Prep Junior High School, constructed in 1890), the Annex Building (built in 1889 and struck by lightning in 2005--since remodeled), Wood Gym (the original gym of Glynn Academy, named after a man in the community who donated money to the high school for physical education), the Admin Building (also known as the Ga building by the students) with its Memorial Auditorium and classrooms (1923), and the Science Building (built in the 1960s as a result of President Kennedy's push for education in the sciences), and the New Gym (completed in the 1980s as a result of the growing student population).

The Sidney Lanier Building

The Sidney Lanier Building which is currently the Freshman Academy.Consists of two bathrooms one on the top floor and one on the bottom.

The Prep Buliding

The Prep Building is probably the most recognizable building on the campus due to the massive stairs and the columns.The Prep Building holds most of the foreign language classes.

The Annex Building

Due to the historical nature of the campus, this is the only building with an elevator.

Wood Gym

The Wood Gym is now rarely used, having been supplanted by a modern, updated arena, which is also on Campus.

Notable alumni

* Kwame Brown - NBA player; Detroit Pistons; first overall pick in 2001 NBA Draft
* Adam Wainwright - MLB player; Saint Louis Cardinals
* Steve Melnyk - won U.S. Amateur & British Amateur in golf, Georgia Golf Hall of Fame
* Omeed Behmardi - Tennis player; U.S. Open Semi-Finalist
* Davis Love III - PGA Tour player, 1997 PGA Champion

External links

* [http://glynn.schooldesk.net/Default.aspx?alias=glynn.schooldesk.net/academy Glynn Academy Home]
* [http://glynn.schooldesk.net/academy/GlynnAcademy/CampusHistory/tabid/1287/Default.aspx History of Glynn Academy]

References