About Us:

There has been a school in Centralhatchee since the early part of this century. In the early years, students from surrounding communities boarded long buses (back then it was old trucks with benches and seats) to go to two high schools in the county. These high schools were in Franklin and Centralhatchee.

The first graduating class at Centralhatchee was in 1930; the last in 1954. A banquet honoring the graduates began in 1933, and it is traditional each spring for classmates and friends to gather for fellowship. Sometimes as many as 250 people attend these banquets, according to some Centralhatchee graduates.

The gymnasium, which was built in 1935-36 through the Public Works Administration, is still used by Centralhatchee Elementary School. Many older residents of the county remember Centralhatchee High School was in Class C basketball, and the basketball program was known as one of the best in the state in its class.

In the early days, the team had a time keeper and a score keeper. There was an old dishpan nailed to a post in the gym and instead of a scoreboard's buzzer, someone hit the pan with a mallet to sound the end of a quarter or time out. The dishpan was later changed to a brake drum. There were two pot-bellied stoves on each end of the gym to keep players and spectators warm.

Of course, the stoves have been replaced with more modern heating equipment and the homemade buzzer is no longer used. Students watch an electric scoreboard as they play basketball today.

Look closely though, and you'll notice the old brake drum still nailed to a post inside this beautiful and historic gym.