County Schools

In 1921, Robert Gibson “R.G.” Anders was named the Henderson County school superintendent. He served as superintendent until 1953. When he became superintendent, there were 53 school districts. He instituted a program of school consolidation and began building larger, new schools in the early 1920s. The one-room schools are closed as new consolidated schools are built.
By 1926, there were 43 schools and by 1930 the number of schools had dropped to 36. With the advent of the automobile and new roads being constructed, students could be transported to schools farther away from the close-knit communities.
Under the consolidation program, schools were built in the 1920s that served students from grades 1 to 11. Note that the state did not add the 12th grade until the 1940s. These schools were Balfour, Dana, East Flat Rock, Edneyville, Etowah, Flat Rock, Fletcher, Mills River, Tuxedo and Valley Hill. Of these historical schools, five still stand – Balfour, East Flat Rock, Fletcher, Tuxedo and Valley Hill. Sections of Dana and Flat Rock still stand. Fires in the early 1970s destroyed some of the buildings at Dana and Flat Rock. Only a small section of Edneyville remains after the construction of the WNC Justice Academy. Etowah and Mills River were torn down when new schools were recently built. All the schools were designed by architect Erle Stillwell.
Seventeen of the one-room schools had closed by 1930. At the beginning of 1930, there remained 26 schools that were still holding classes in small cabins or weather-boarded buildings.
Since all schools in the state were segregated during this time in history, there were seven black districts (schools) in the county. Six of these schools were located in East Flat Rock, Edneyville, Horse Shoe/Etowah, Fletcher, Fruitland, and near Saluda. The location of the seventh school has not yet been determined.
Robert Gibson Anders (1882-1968) was the son of John Anders and Millie Lawrence Anders. He married Edna Mae Cole. His grave site is at Shepherd Memorial Park. He grew up in the Big Willow area of Henderson County and after his marriage moved to the area of Fruitland and Edneyville.

City Schools

In 1912 Rosa Edwards Elementary School was built in Hendersonville. Hendersonville Graded School then only served high school students.
Hendersonville High School was built in 1926 and was also designed by Erle Stillwell. This was the first state accredited high school in the county. Hendersonville Graded School then closed, leaving two schools – Rosa Edwards Elementary and Hendersonville High School.
Black students in Hendersonville attended a school at Sixth Avenue West and Valley Street.

 Private Schools

In 1926, Immaculata Catholic School opened in Hendersonville and the Fletcher Hospital School of Nursing opened in Naples, operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church also operated Fletcher Academy. The Blue Ridge School for Boys, Fassifern School for Girls and Fruitland Baptist Academy continued to operate. The Carolina Military and Naval Academy at Highland Lake in Flat Rock closed in 1924.

 County Library

In the 1920s, a branch library of the library in Hendersonville opened in the Bat Cave community.