Thyne Institute

Thyne Institute. Chase City, Virginia. , Thyme Institute was established by the Rev. J.Y. Ashenhurst, the United Presbyterian Church, and a group of local citizens to provide an opportunity for African Americans (known as "freed men" in the late 1800s) to obtain an education. In 1876, 73 students were enrolled., Dr. Ashenhurst began teaching from a tobacco warehouse when Mr. John Thyne donated five acres of land and built the first school building. The church, in return, named the school in his honor. In 1914, Thyne Institute gained high school accreditation by the Virginia Department of Education. Subjects such as Latin, calculus, Bible, and music, as well as practical skills, were taught., Thyne Institute was so successful at delivering a quality education to African Americans that other schools throughout the South followed a similar pattern. Henderson Institute of North Carolina and Bluestone Harmony School of Virginia both followed Thyne's model., The church expanded the school in 1893, when Thyne Institute started boarding students. Students from as far away as Ohio and New York attended. However, most of the boarding students came from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads areas of the state. Enrollment peaked in 1951-52 when the school had 650 students, a staff of 23 teachers, and a graduating class of 140. In total, over time, Thyne Institute enriched the lives of more than 5,000 students and their descendants in addition to setting the standard of quality in education for African Americans. The school was eventually turned over to the Mecklenburg County School Board. In the 1970s, the campus buildings were replaced by a new elementary school., The accomplishments of Thyne Institute came with much sacrifice and dedication to purpose. The school suffered many setbacks, including fires, financial difficulties, and hostilities within the community between the white and Black populations. The Institute soared as an educational giant in an age when society did not recognize education as essential to quality of life, but instead saw it as a deterrent to hard work., The Thyne Institute Memorial Circle of Friends, Inc. was formed in 1998 for the purpose of developing a memorial for the Thyne Institute and interpreting the education that took place at this site., [Captions:] , Wilson Hall, Thyne's administration and classroom building named for Dr. Frank W. Wilson, principal for 36 years., Dr. Frank W. Wilson served as principal of the Thyne Institute from 1906 to 1942., Thyne Institute diploma issued in 1900 to the wife of George Lancaster, Sr., Vincent Hall served as the girls dormitory., Hunter Hall served as the boys dormitory.