Early History

Athens Elementary School originally began as a graded and junior high school known as Concord Training School.  It had its beginning at Concord State Normal School and consisted of those pupils in town who preferred to attend the Normal School rather than the public school.  Only as many pupils were received as three rooms would accommodate.  It represented eight grades so that the student-teachers in training could have ample opportunity for observation and practice in all of the eight grades.  Its eventual two-story brick public school building was erected on the site previously occupied by the former Concord Normal School’s third building, which was destroyed by a fire in 1910.

The building had a basement and nine rooms, of which eight were classrooms originally housing grades one through eight.  In later years to accommodate increasing elementary enrollment, a small detached white frame single classroom was built in Summer of 1950 on the left side nearest the Athens Baptist Church.

After Athens High School relocated in January of 1941 from its previous facility (the “Old Red Barn”) to its new building erected a short distance behind the training school, the elementary school became known as the elementary division of Concord Training School, Athens Unified Public School.  The school name Concord Training School would continue to appear on students’ report cards until the end of the 1953 – 54 school year, after which the name Athens Elementary School appeared.

In February of 1949, a large delegation of Athens residents met with the Mercer County Board of Education to voice concerns about the condition of the Athens schools.  The elementary school building was characterized as a fire, sanitary and health hazard, and as being far below the needs of its students.  In urging the Board’s support for making needed improvements, it was pointed out that the elementary structure was built by a subscription campaign by earlier Athens citizens, and that the Board had in fact never erected a public school building in Athens out of Board funds.

Following the end of the 1955 – 56 school year on May 31, 1956, the old Concord Training School building was closed and demolished.  Its elementary students began the new school year on September 4, 1956 in the new Athens Elementary School which had been added as a wing to the stone-structured high school building.  A bronze plaque acknowledges that the new facility was made possible by members of the Mercer County Board of Education, 1954 – 1957.  Also added to the new school was a new wing completed in Spring of 1957 containing the gymnasium and a stage for student activities.  This additional wing, later dedicated as the Joe Vachon Gymnasium, is situated on the site of the old Concord Training School elementary building.