Metter High School, Metter Georgia

Date added: September 22, 2023 Categories: Georgia School

Front (north) facade and east facade looking southwest (2001)

Metter High School, built in the then-popular Neoclassical Revival style, possibly to emulate the new Neoclassical style Candler County Courthouse, also built in 1921, housed grades one through eleven and served the white community of Metter until 1937. During the 1927-28 school year, there were 17 teachers at the school. As late as the 1935-36 school year, the school had in addition to the superintendent, five high school teachers and ten other teachers. Approximately 43 students were in the class of 1937, the last to graduate from old Metter High School.

A new school building was constructed across College Street from the 1921 school for classroom use. After the 1936-37 school year, the second-floor southeast classroom was used as a kitchen, and lunch was served in the northeast classroom. Around 1955, the kitchen and lunchroom were moved to another building and vocational training classes, such as industrial arts and business classes were taught in the old building for many years. Privately taught piano lessons were later given in the building through the 1980s and the early 1990s.

The building has most recently been used for storage by the Candler County Board of Education. The Candler County Historical Society is in the process of acquiring the old high school building for rehabilitation and use as a local history museum.

Building Description

Metter High School is located on a large corner lot in downtown Metter, a small town in rural southeast Georgia. Designed by C.C. Muse and constructed of brick in 1921, the school exhibits the Neoclassical style. Character-defining features include the two-story plan and full-height, pedimented portico supported by four Doric columns and two brick pilasters and topped by a wide entablature. The front (north) facade contains a full-height portico and double entry doors surrounded by a transom and sidelights. Also featured on the front facade are large full-height brick panels, one on each side of the entrance. The west facade features two groupings of five eight-over-eight double-hung-sash windows on the first and second floors. The rear (South) facade contains an entry door on the first floor and a grouping of three eight-over-eight double-hung-sash windows on the second floor. The east facade echoes the west facade with its grouped windows and an additional smaller window on the first floor.

The interior arrangement is a central hall plan with four classrooms on each floor. The interior features plaster walls, tongue-and-groove paneled ceilings, wood floors, simple door and window surrounds, and paneled doors with transoms. The staircase is located at the rear of the hall and features square paneled newel posts and square balusters. Partition walls have been added to some areas on the first floor.

Landscape features on the property include mature trees, a paved alley, and fencing.