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By: Erin Smith
The town of Bladenboro has a long and storied history. One place in town that holds many memories for many residents is the Bladenboro Farm Life School. The school operated from 1917 until 1991.
Mr. William Butler recalls fondly his time spent at the school and his time spent saving it from demolition. He said the Bladenboro Farm Life School was originally constructed in 1917. Residents of the town agreed to pay special taxes in order to construct the building.
He said the school originally taught science and mathematics. Students would come to take classes at the school from as far away as Whiteville and Lumberton. Butler said he couldn’t remember exactly how many students attended the school but it was one of the largest schools in the area. Eventually the building had two wings added on to it to accommodate the number of students it was serving.
Butler recalled that once the school was closed by the county in 1991, people began to discuss what would be done with the facility. When it was learned that the building would be demolished, Butler said people in the town were upset and began a campaign to save the building.
When asked to describe what it was like when residents learned the building would be demolished, Butler said, “Everybody turned against the school board, almost. It was such a good building and all.”
Butler said he inquired what needed to be done to save it and learned a citizen could purchase the building and effort was undertaken to obtain the building. He said a group of former students and Bladenboro residents banded together and formed the Bladenboro Historical Society. Together, they were able to stop the demolition of the building and preserve the building for future generations.
He said with the help of Mr. Edd Nye, the General Assembly ratified a bill in 1992 which authorized the Bladen County Board of Education to sell the building and surrounding property to the Bladenboro Historical Society.
Today, the building houses the Bladenboro Visual Arts Gallery, the Bladenboro Military Museum, a genealogy room and a history of the town of Bladenboro. Also, the Bladenboro Benefit Committee uses the building for various fundraisers for individuals who are in need in the community and members fo the community use the facility for various functions.
The building soon will be turning 100 years old. The Bladenboro Historical Society is planning a Centennial Celebration to mark the occasion on September 9, 2017. The opening ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. and anyone with information regarding the building is asked to submit it by July 29th to Graham Yarborough at gydbd@yahoo.com.
Butler was issued the Order of the Long Leaf Pine and has also served on the Bladenboro Town Council and the Bladen County Soil and Water Conservation board, to name just a few of his community activities.
He recalled meeting his wife for the first time one day on the bus. She was sitting in a different seat on the bus and he said the next day he switched seats on the bus. He and his wife have been married for nearly for 70 years.
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