Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Rock Hill Academy
Rock Hill Academy, the first school in the village of Rock Hill, opened in 1855 in a log building near this site. A private school for white boys, it was built in a pine grove owned by Ann Hutchison White. The school's first teacher was Rev. Archibald Whyte. The building was also used as a Christian meeting house. It was expanded in 1857. Around that time about sixty students attended. The school is believed to have closed during the Civil War but reopened by 1870.
By 1874 the building at this site became a girls school named Pine Grove Academy, an informal name long used for Rock Hill Academy. Pine Grove's first principal was M.B. Reid. In 1876 the school had forty-eight students. The school closed with the 1888 opening of Rock Hill Graded School, the first public school for local white children. The old school building at this site was later renovated and used as a residence. It was destroyed by the tornado of 1926.
Erected 2024 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Historic Rock Hill. (Marker Number 46-85.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the South Carolina Historical Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The White Home (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); East Town Neighborhood (about 600 feet away); Water Trough (about 600 feet away); The "3C's" Railroad (about 600 feet away); Upper Land's Ford Road (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named White Home (about 700 feet away); Rock Hill High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church / Dr. Arthur Small Rogers (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rock Hill.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 35 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
