Lee's School
Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Lee's School. A classical preparatory school for boys, 1844-1879. Operated by Col. Stephen Lee at Chunn's Cove, 1/2 mile north.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
From 1844 to 1879, Colonel Stephen Lee ran a respected classical preparatory school for boys at Chunn's Cove, offering the Greek and Latin education that prepared young men for college and public life. The school stood half a mile north.
Why it matters
Lee's School represents the private classical academies that educated the antebellum and Reconstruction-era Southern elite.
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Related people
- ยท Stephen Lee
Themes & tags
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