Mayme Carmichael School Organization, Inc.
"Preserving the Heritage of the African American Community"
HISTORY
Early records have indicated that the Oliver Springs Colored School, which was located on Fritts Road, was purchased in 1948 by Roane and Anderson Counties jointly. The school was built in 1949. Serving a dual purpose, the building was a “one-room schoolhouse” and a “House of Worship”. As a school, the structure accommodated children in grades one through eight until 1966, and continued to serve the needs of the community as a worship facility until the late seventies.
According to some school records and personal interviews, the following teachers taught during a portion of the school’s existence: Professor C.C. Prigmore, Lillian R. Rucker, Mattie A. Copeland, Lucile Jones, Juana Bautista Haslerig, Ella Mae Jackson, Flora Houston, Mayme E. (Carter) Carmichael, and Flora Thomas Young (Peggy). Additional research is warranted to clarify the duration of each teacher’s tenure. However, it has been noted that Mayme Carmichael’s tenure spanned from 1928 to 1966.
In addition to the Fritts Road location, school has been held on Methodist Hill, at the Peak Chapel Methodist Church, and Little Leaf Missionary Baptist Church.