The Academy

The Academy. . Soon after pioneers founded the town of Kanab, they established school for both young and old. At first, school was held in the Kanab fort, but it soon became inadequate to meet the needs of the growing community. Then, a two-story brick school building located near the current courthouse opened in January 1877. by the late 1880s it was too small. , The dream of a more proper school continued to be realized when the Academy was erected in 1889-90 on northeast corner of the Public Square. The first stage, on one story hewn-stone building with a flat roof was used as a social center and for church, as well as for a school. In 1896 a second story of locally made brick was added, along with a belfry on top. The bell rand to announce church, school, curfews, funerals and emergencies such as a fire. , By 1914 the student population again outpaced the size of the school, so some grades met elsewhere, including the nearby Tithing Office and the Ward Hall. In 1917-18 formal education for all grades moved to a new school atop Monument Hil at the east end of Center Street. The Academy was abandoned and eventually torn down. The bricks were repurposed to build homes. The empty field was used for many community purposes such as ballgames, rodeos and carnivals until a new elementary school opened in 1954 where the Academy building once stood. Additional information is available at the Kanab Heritage Museum.