One place I visited in December of 2018 was on my list of places to revisit and hopefully tell a little bit more history than can be communicated in just an Instagram post. 

Located outside of Jefferson, South Carolina in Chesterfield county, sits the former Angelus School. The school operated between about 1928 and the 1950’s. The school served grades 1st through 12th grades. The Angelus school is also often referred to as the Macedonia-Angelus School.

In my research, I was able to locate an article announcing that 12 people graduated from Macedonia-Angelus school on May 19th, 1928. I also located an article declaring the final days of the school’s operations. The school closed May 26th, 1953 with the last graduating ceremony for the class of 5 people.

Locals report that the school gymnasium was constructed by the WPA using the wood from the 3 schools that were torn down after they were consolidated into the Angelus School in 1928. While the WPA did build at least 2 gymnasiums in Chesterfield County, I could not find any proof that the WPA was involved. 

In 1960, Chesterfield County was in a pilot program under the direction of President Eisenhower’s Committee for Rural Development Program. The former high school was converted into a bonded warehouse. The warehouse allowed for the storage of 1,000 bales of cotton. 

On the morning of December 1st, 2013, a fire destroyed the main school building. When I visited in 2018, the brick foundations still remained and navigating the site was still dangerous. I looked in the door of the gymnasium and found it interesting that it was still standing in the condition it was in. 

Unfortunately, only the vocational building still stands and is now used as a community center.