Englewood School was established on its present site in 1906 in a small frame schoolhouse. The humble structure consisted of three large rooms that were divided by a curtain. The first high school courses were added in 1908 as a result of the students’ desire to continue education past the eighth grade. The building was expanded various times as the student population continued to increase, and by 1916 it had grown to a multistory complex that housed over 100 students. The structure was lost to fire in 1924. Classes were moved to churches and businesses throughout the area as the new building was being constructed. It is jokingly said that one of the businesses that hosted classes during that time was the town’s pool hall, but oddly, no teacher was ever present.

In 1925, a two-story, state-of-the-art K-12 facility was built on the same site as the original wood-frame structure. The new brick school was constructed for approximately $40,000 and contained 13 classrooms, a gymnasium located under the building, and an auditorium on the first floor that would hold 650 people. The school was expanded in 1948, and a new gymnasium was added to campus in 1956 along with an adjacent corridor of classrooms that housed the home economics department. For nearly four decades, Englewood High School served as the centerpiece of the small town of Englewood. It was known both for its academic excellence as well as its athletic prowess. Its sweeping archways and towering, ivy-covered walls made it an ideal focal point and source of community pride.

On Christmas Eve 1963, the tragedy of fire again struck Englewood School. The building was a complete loss. The only portion that survived was the new gymnasium edition. For a second time in the town’s history, area churches would help house the students of Englewood School. Englewood High School students were bussed to the National Guard Armory in Athens where a large gym area was partitioned off to make smaller classrooms.

After the burning of Englewood High School, McMinn County decided to consolidate Englewood and Etowah High Schools into Central High School of McMinn County. In 1965, a new K-8 elementary school was built on the former site of the brick school. The high school gymnasium remained, and to this day, old and new remain paired together.

Although today’s students walk in different halls and sit in different classrooms, many of them take physical education or play basketball in the same building where their great-grandparents once played. It is this kind of history and sense of place that makes our school so unique. While buildings have come and gone, our community’s spirit has never faltered. For over 100 years, this campus has been the hallowed home of the Englewood Rams. With courage of conviction, we pledge to continue this institution’s proud commitment to excellence for generations to come.