Pulaski Academy

Pulaski Academy. . The first school in Pulaski/Giles County was chartered by the State of Tennessee on November 23, 1809, just nine days after the passage of the legislation establishing the county. Chartered as the Pulaski Academy, the designated trustees were directed to select a site and erect a college building using monies collected from the sale of town lots. The trustees selected this site referred to as “East Hill” and erected a school building. In September of 18 12 the name was changed from Pulaski Academy to Wurtemburg Academy and served to prepare young men for college., In December of 1849 a college charter was obtained for Wurtemburg Academy from the State of Tennessee. The charter secured for the college the existing building, funds and grounds of Wurtemburg Academy. It was estimated that an additional $12,000.00 would be needed to erect the necessary building and procure a small library for the college. The money was raised and by the late 1850's Giles College, with a new building, was in operation., With the outbreak of the Civil War, Giles College ceased operation and the building was used as an army hospital, first by the Confederates and then by the Union Army. The building suffered a great deal of damage during this period and much of the building had to be rebuilt., Giles College reopened in 1868 and operated until 1886 when the Town of Pulaski purchased the property and opened the first free school in Giles County, known as Pulaski High School. A major annex was added to the building in 1915 and during the 1920's the first six grades were moved to the old Massey School building and the name was changed, this time to Central High School., For the next 75 years the Giles College building was utilized as a school building for various grades until 1961 when the City of Pulaski began using the structure as a recreation center. In 1964 the Giles College building was razed, making way for a new recreation center.