HISTORICAL SKETCHES

CANE CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH

Number 18: August 2006 www.canecreek.org 6901 Orange Grove Rd., Hillsborough, NC 27278

ORANGE GROVE ACADEMY: PART II

As I mentioned in June's sketch, the school was opened in 1897 as Rock Spring Academy, but soon changed its name to Orange Grove Academy. In 1901 it was Orange Grove High School and after that was The Orange Grove School. We have in our possession catalogs for '99-00, '01-'02, '06-'07, '07-'08, and '08-'09. We also have commencement programs for '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, and '12. The materials were originally collected by Rebecca Crawford and Virginia Perry. The quotes below are taken from the catalogs and give us a glimpse of school and community life from a century ago.

1899-1900: "The establishment of this school is the direct effect of strenuous efforts put forth by Rev. J. F. MacDuffie, who began to agitate the subject about four years ago and who was successful in getting his people to cooperate in establishing and carrying out the work... The first session began October 1897, which was successful beyond all hopes... Our building consists of a two-roomed academy. This though, even from the first, has not been sufficient to accommodate the number in attendance [seventy students are listed]... The location of the school is a most admirable one. It is among the delightful hills of Orange County being in one of the most healthful sections of all North Carolina. It is on the old historic road along which Cornwallis passed with his men."

1901-02: "The school has been in operation for five years and we have never had an occasion to send for a doctor for a student. We have no doctor nearer than ten miles of us. We would like to have one settle among us but the amount of practice is not sufficiently encouraging for one to locate here. The school is located among a sturdy class of farmers who, conscious that their duty toward their children is their first duty, are rallying to the support of the school. It is among picturesque hills of the old renowned County of Orange where the nightingale sings and the sparkling rills of water twine their silver threads among the red hills. A locality to be envied by everyone in search of health, away from the attractions of vice and temptation... Every student in our school is recognized as a lady or gentleman and so long as they maintain this high position they know no law. We have no code or regulations. The only rule is "right doing and right living" and when this rule is violated the offender will be dealt with according to the nature of the case. We employ corporal punishment only as a last resort" (Note: The catalog lists 101 students.)

1906-07: "Orange Grove has been in successful operation nine years...Already numbers of young men and women have been sent forth into the battles of life, and they have shown by their character and success that Mr. MacDuffie's work has not been in vain... Mr. McDuffie is still pastor of the church ... and leads the community in the erection of a new building which will meet all the demands of a large and growing school... Country location has always been considered by leading educators as almost requisite for the successful conduct of a boarding school. Now the telephone and free mail delivery has been extended to the country, its advantages are still more patent. Orange Grove has both, mail being delivered at noon. The morning papers may be read in the reading room during the dinner hour... Each boarding student will be under the supervision of both parents and teachers. The teachers will board in different homes with students and will be able to look after the conduct of all outside the schoolroom as nearly all board within a few hundred yards of the school... The moral and religious conditions of the community are of the highest order. No more serious minded Christian people can be found than those around Cane Creek church; none more interested in education. There is no whiskey, no rowdies, no drunkards, no profane swearers in the community, and the parent will find here the fewest possible evil influences to corrupt his child" (This was MacDuffie's last year as our pastor and school principal.)

1908-09: "Orange Grove School was founded nine years ago by Rev. J. F.MacDuffie. The school ran for many years under his wise superintendency. Last year, a new building, at a cost of approximately $4000 was erected to accommodate the growing patronage of the school. This additional accommodation affords ample room for society halls, commercial rooms, recitation rooms, office, and a large chapel... Our location is happy... ten miles southwest of Hillsboro, nestling among the hills of the Occoneechees on the old Raleigh and Guilford stage road in one of the most select neighborhoods in Orange County.

Some rules printed in the catalog: "Students must respond promptly to all bell signals and must obey cheerfully all minor regulations made known during the school year. Attendance upon all school duties is rigidly enforced. Any damage such as marking on the walls or desks, or fracturing window glass must be made good by the party guilty of such offense. Students are held responsible for the condition of their rooms and also for the conduct in their rooms. The time for recreation is from 4:30 to 7PM. After that hour all students are expected to be in their rooms and at work. Young ladies shall not be allowed to leave the grounds or receive calls from young men without the consent of the principle. During the day from 8:45 to 4:30, all students will study in the school building or in their rooms unless excused specially. All profane and indecent language, Playing cards, quarreling, fighting, and smoking about the buildings or on the grounds is strictly forbidden."

I said in an earlier Sketch that the school closed in 1911. But now I find that we have a graduation program for 1912, so I presume that this is the last year of operation.

I have heard from Harry Byrd about the June historical sketch on Orange Grove Academy. Harry was our preacher from 1953 to 1957. Harry's father, C. E. Byrd, preached for us from 1921 to 1924. Harry wrote that his father used to tell the story of what MacDuffie once said to the Cane Creek congregation. The occasion was C. E. Byrd's invitation to MacDuffie to address his old church after an absence of about 15 years. McDuffie said:

"Since the time I drove my buggy on this church yard there were some people who fought me and they fought me until I left." He then went on to tell what J. A. Campbell has done at Buies Creek [i.e., establishing a school that is now Campbell University]. He said, we could have done the same thing here at Orange Grove if everyone had cooperated." He then turned around and said to my father, "And you wouldn't be here today."

And if MacDuffie had had his way and Orange Grove University existed, probably none of us would be here today in 2006.

Ed Johnson