Buildings Back When: The Emily Winship Woodruff Memorial building, home of the Evelyne Sheats Lower School
Buildings Back When looks at the history of the building that now houses the Evelyne Sheats Lower School.
Rabun Gap’s campus and buildings have a lot of history. Many of our buildings have held various purposes throughout our 116 years of existence. They are testaments to the hard work and dedication of dozens of people who had a shared dream - to see the school succeed and serve the community. “Buildings Back When” celebrates the rich history of our buildings at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School.
The Emily Winship Woodruff Memorial building, which now houses the Evelyne Sheats Lower School, has served a variety of purposes on campus for decades. It was constructed during the Great Depression, started in 1934 and finished in 1938. The dream was to create a building in which the surrounding community could gather. The project was funded partially through federal funds for the labor of unemployed men as a Civil Works project.
According to the School’s 1934 Annual Report, a majority of the materials were donated by “the old Methodist church.” The site of the building resides where the original school building was, which had burned down; part of the existing basement is made up of portions of the original school building’s basement.
The new “Community Center” held spaces for recreation and a gymnasium. The basement was set up as a farm shop, equipped with tools purchased with money given by the State for vocational education. Families from the community would gather to play games and have social events there.
In 1956, President OC Skinner spearheaded the creation of the Industrial Arts Building (the current Business Office), which led to the renovation of the old Community Center’s gymnasium and recreational centers. The shop was moved into the Industrial Arts Building and the basement of the Community Center was transformed into a bowling alley. The center was open three days a week for the community and provided games such as ping-pong, badminton, volleyball, shuffleboard, and darts.
A Rabun Gap newsletter from 1956 reads, “The School-Community Recreation Center has become a place where the whole family can play together; a place for decent, wholesome recreation for boarding students and community students alike. It is the only recreation center in the area and is filling a great need.”
As the School and the surrounding community grew and changed, so did the purpose of the Community Center. It later served as home to the School’s administrative offices, including the Admissions Office, Business Office, Advancement Office, and the Office of the President. The Campus Store and The Grill were once located on the first floor.
In 2016, major renovations took place to turn the Emily Winship Woodruff Memorial building into a space for Rabun Gap’s youngest students. Offices were transformed into classrooms and a full cafeteria was created on the bottom floor. The Evelyne Sheats Lower School officially opened for classes in August of 2017.
Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.
