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Knox Hill Academy

Many Walton County Historians will tell you education in Florida and even the south was partially started in DeFuniak Springs and Walton County. Some will tell you about the area’s help in starting FSU and even help with getting that little school in Gainesville going. The education unions have roots in DeFuniak Springs. The town once had a college. And in the Valley View area, in the early 1800’s a school was started that would teach students from kindergarten to college. Thursday morning, descendants of some former Know Hill Academy students, Walton Superintendent Carlene Anderson, Commissioner Scott Brannon and others were present for the unavailing of a state historical marker on Knox Hill Road at Pusley Hill Road, near the location of the first Knox Hill Academy.

The $1,840 marker was purchased with funds from Walton County Commissioner Scott Brannon’s District 1 monies. Brannon said they are involved in a county-wide initiative to preserve historic Walton County sites for future generations. Resident Bill Steadley-Campbell was a primary force in getting the marker placed.

Steadley-Campbell says John Newton, an abolitionist, built a two-story building near a log cabin school. Knox Hill School was eventually replaced with another school a few miles away. Mary Esther was named after Newton’s two daughters, they are buried in the nearby Eucheeanna Cemetery. He said the people who founded the school believed in God and church, in family and in education.

Elaine Harrison said her husband, Benjamin Harrison went to Knox Hill School back in the 40’s. She still lives just up the road from the historic school site.

Walton Superintendent Carlene Anderson gave a review of the school’s history. She said the academy taught students at all education levels, saying when they talk about the one-room schoolhouse, this was it. The school at times had as many as 100 students, some from as far away as Pensacola and Marianna. Anderson said they taught tings like math, reading and writing, as well as Greek and Latin plus psalms and hymns. Anderson said the school educated many children who went on to make the community what it is today.

Anderson showed a very old ledger with all the old schools, their names, how many students, what the teachers got paid and other statistics. She said one teacher was not paid because she ran away one month. Some of the schools include Crestview and locations that used to be in Walton County before it was divided to make other counties. The book goes back to 1908. A teacher in the early 1900’s would be paid $50 to $60 a month. Anderson said the book is part of the heritage.

Anderson says they used to talk about blackboards and chalk, while today they talk about whiteboards and electronic technology. She says the one thing that has not changed is dedicated teachers serving children. She what matters in not the type of schoolhouse or chalkboard, but what you do when you get into the classrooms. She said Knox Hill is a beginning of education in Walton. She said no matter what kind of school they have had or have today, it is teachers and children. Anderson said they will never go to a robotic type teacher. Anderson says the ledger book is something she considers a precious commodity. She says it reminds her of those who came before her and how she is simply perpetuating what was done in previous years.

**Audio of this story is on our website on the News Audio Page (find the picture of the listening ear or the link to the news audio page) and will stay on for one week under “Friday News Segment 2” mp3 file.

**The full audio of this event, with the complete statement by Anderson is on the same page under the Knox Hill Academy section. Pictures of the event are also on the News Center page.

Knox Hill Academy Additional history provided by the School District and Walton Public Information:

Knox Hill Academy was founded in 1849. John Newton (4-22-1814 to 11-25-1893), born near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, educated at Amherst College, who had taught a school for the Scotch people in North Carolina, came to Florida in the fall of 1848. He was invited to Euchee Valley and, at a meeting of the Scotch, it was decided to organize a school to be conducted by him. The school commenced in the Henry School House that stood near a spring northeast of the Morrison place at Old Knox Hill several hundred yards northwest of where the Academy was built. Almost immediately, however a good-sized, split-log house was built on the top of the Hill and furnished with single desks and blackboards and the school was moved into this first building. A year or two later, a large, two-story, frame building was constructed in front of the log building. From its beginning, the school bore the name of Knox Hill Academy, later referred to as Old Knox Hill Academy to distinguish it from the school opened in January, 1859 under the same mentor at a location three miles to the north.

Mr. Newton left the school in 1854, paid a short visit to California, then taught several years at Marianna and Orange Hill (Washington County), returning to Knox Hill academy when it opened at the new location. During his absence, the school had several different teachers. His second tenure was from 1859 until 1863, when he moved with his family to California, where he remained until 1866. During his absence, the school was taught by some of his old pupils. He returned and taught at the Academy again for a year or two, then left permanently. The school was continued for many years with some of his former pupils or their children serving as teachers.

Under Newton, the Academy taught students at all educational levels from the primary through the first year of college work and, outside of his own scholars, the only two assistants he ever had, were Angus I. Gillis and Daniel G. McLeod, two of his former pupils. At times, attendance exceeded one hundred, with students from Pensacola, Marianna, Milton and adjacent counties in West Florida and Alabama boarding nearby. The wide variety of subjects taught is shown by an examination of the list of text books issued - copy books, readers, arithmetic boards, geometry books, algebra books, Latin texts, Greek texts, copies of Family Worship Book, Psalms and Hymns, History of the Church, home and Foreign Record Book, etc.

List of Patrons of Knox Hill Academy with Names of Attending Children 9-24-1849 to 12-24-1854:

James Blain, John, Mary; ???? or John Campbell, Catherine; J.W. Cook, Eliza, George; Angus Douglass, Sarah D.; George D. Fisher, Marshall, Louisa, Luther; Louis Frater, John; Angus Gillis, Murdock, Catharine, Archibold, William, Jeanette; Mrs. Margaret (Widow of Murdock D. Gillis) Gillis, Catherine, Angus, Sarah, Daniel; Neil Gillis, Donald, Catherine, Elizabeth, Flora, Daniel; Daniel G. John, Colin, William, Daniel Campball; Dr. L.D. Kirkpatrick, Mary Carhman, Mont, James Keith; J.M. Landon, Alonza; ??? McCaskill, Alexander; John McDonald, Daniel, William; Peter McDonald, Sarah; William McDonald, Daniel, Flora; John McKenzie, Margaret, Nancy, Sarah; Daniel G. McLean, Angus, William, Nancy Alexander; Daniel M. McLean, Elizabeth; Hugh McLean, Abigail, Sarah; Alexander McLeod, Alexander, Daniel, John, Duncan, Flora; Neil McPharson, William, Sarah Isabella, Malcolm; Duncan McRanie, Jackson; M. McSween, Philip, Robert, Elizabeth; Ashley Miller, Elizabeth, John, James; William Moore, Margaret, William, Nancy D., Daniel, John; John Morrison, Archibold, William, Murdock; Murdock Morrison, John, Sarah; Daniel Ray, Isabella, William, Colin, Mary; John P. Ray, Nancy, Sarah, Colin, John; Samuel Russ, Robert, Thomas; Captain Peter Simons, Peter, Alfred; Hon. B.D. Wright, Henry, Hambleton; Henry Yonge, Edward

Other patrons during period: Norman Anderson, George Atwell, Colonel Angus Campbell, John Killae, Dougald McCallum, Norman P. McDonald, John P. McKinnon, Oliver Moore, John P.Morrison, Abraham Skipper.

List of patrons of Knox Hill Academy with names of attending children 3-1867 to 7-31-1868: Mrs. Mary Beck, Emma; Mrs. C. Campbell, Mary; J.L. Campbell, Angus; N.P. Campbell, Alexander, William; B. Day, Sarah, Millie; Angus Curry Douglass, John, Charles; Angus Gillis, Daniel, Mary; John Gillis, John, Nancy; Malcom Gillis, Georgia; N.S.Gillis, Elizabeth, Sarah; A.L. McCaskill, Mary; Christian McCaskill, Mary; K. McCaskill, Isabella, Daniel, Malcom; A.P. McDonald, John, Peter, Sarah; D.P. McDonald, Sarah, Daniel; Mrs. Isabella McDonald; James McLean, Duncan, Nancy, Flora; Alexander McLeod, Isabella, Christian; Dr. Philip McSween, Nancy; James McSween, William, Daniel; John Morrison, Malcolm, Mary, Angus, Jennet, Margaret; John P. Morrison, Nancy, Neil; A. C. Monroe, William

Other Patrons During Period: John Ball, G. Bowers, Mr. Calhoun, N.J. Campbell, Mr. Flournoy, Mr. Garrett, A.D. McKinnon, J Owens

Bay School's New Multipurpose Building (Gym) inside and brick match old school on the outside

South Walton High School slab for new restrooms and Walton Middle School new sod and reworked field

Aerial view of New Mossy Head School looking west and looking east (Highway 90 to the right) loop for bus pickup

New Mossy Head School Clocktower and front with round windows in the teacher work areas

Some of the Mossy Head staff on their first visit to see the new school to be opened this year

New Walton High School aerial looking from the east (Walton Rd. to the right) and looking from the Northwest

New Walton High School showing brickwork and trim

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