On this site was founded Graysville Academy by a group of Seventh-day Adventists who were organized as a church on Sept. 8, 1888. Recognizing the need for training young people in order that the work of the church in the South could be expanded, a school was started Feb 20, 1892 above the store of J.W. Clouse in the village of Graysville, with G.W. Colcord as principal. With the donation of this land, the administration building was erected in 1893 and the school was named Graysville Academy.
Later, the school was known as Southern Industrial School, and Southern Training School. In 1915 the girls' dormitory burned, and as a larger campus was needed, the school was moved to a location near Ooltewah, Tenn. and the site was named Collegedale. The school there, Southern Junior College, later became Southern College of Seventh-day Adventists. After the fire of 1915, the Board of Trustees transferred the title to the local church and a school was continued with the name again of Graysville Academy.
On June 1, 1931, Graysville Academy was leased to L.A. Jacobs, who had long been connected with the school, and was operated as a boarding school. Because of economic conditions, the dormitories were closed in Feb. 1939. The last of the academy buildings was demolished in 1974. After the closing of the boarding school, the Graysville Seventh-day Adventist Church has operated a day school for local patrons until the present time. Many students of Graysville Academy and the Southern Training School have served the Lord in many countries of the world.
This memorial was erected on the centennial of the organization of the Graysville Seventh-day Adventist Church. Oct. 1988.
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