Lees-McRae College

"Banner's Elk", as the village was once called, was settled around 1850. By the end of the century, the Presbyterian Church was becoming established in the area and in the summer of 1895, the Concord Presbytery sent a young student from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia to organize a church at Banner Elk. In 1897, newly ordained, the Reverend Edgar Tufts returned as pastor of the church and remained to serve the community until his death in 1923.

In the winter of 1899, concerned with the limited offering of the district school, which was supplemented only by summer school work conducted by the church, the Rev. Tufts took some of the young people of the neighborhood into his study for further instruction. This small group, called the Class of 1900, marks the beginning of Lees-McRae College.

The Rev. Tufts saw, however, that this effort was not enough and that there was a need for a boarding school, especially for the girls of the mountain region. A small amount of money was raised at a prayer meeting and the promise of lumber and labor made possible the opening in 1900 of a frame dormitory for fourteen girls and one teacher. One of the summer school teachers was Elizabeth A. McRae who had been sent to Banner Elk by the Fayetteville Presbytery. Knowing the devoted character of her work, the Rev. Tufts named the institute for her. A few years later, after a boys division opened at Plumtree, he added the name of Mrs. McRae friend, Mrs. S.P. Lees of Kentucky and New York, who had been a generous benefactor.

The schools were chartered by the state in 1907 as the Lees-McRae Institute. In 1927, Lees-McRae became coeducational when the boys unit was moved to Banner Elk after the buildings at Plumtree had been destroyed by fire. Lees-McRae Institute became Lees-McRae College in 1931, gradually eliminating the high school department to form an accredited, coeducational junior college. In 1987, the Board of Trustees of Lees-McRae College voted to seek senior college status. In June 1990, the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted Lees-McRae status as a senior, four-year, baccalaureate degree granting college.

Over a hundred years later, Lees-McRae College continues in the vision of the Rev. Tufts meeting the educational needs of the Southern Appalachian region and beyond. The college continues to fulfill its motto, in the mountains, of the mountains, and for the mountains while extending its ministry of education and service to diverse populations.

Today, Lees-McRae is a small, private, four-year, coeducational liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. with over 900 students from more than 20 states and countries. Lees-McRae offers 23 outcomes-based, learner-focused major programs of study and several minor programs of study, providing a quality, values-based education in an ecumenical environment, inspiring and enabling individuals to contribute to a changing society with integrity and civic responsibility. Through a curriculum rooted in a liberal arts core to educate the mind, body and spirit, combined with an emphasis on leadership and service, graduates obtain knowledge, skills, and a holistic understanding of themselves and the world.

For more information regarding Lees-McRae College, please visit the website at www.lmc.edu

Lees-McRae College
P.O. Box 128
Banner Elk, NC 28604
Phone: (828) 898-5241
Fax: (828) 898-8814
Admissions Office Phone: (828) 898-8723
Communications Office Phone: (828) 898-8729

Banner Elk Elementary School

Banner Elk Elementary is a pre-K through fifth grade school with a student body of about 210 children. School has multi-age classrooms, which helps children work at their own individual skill level plus to relate to different age groups. Teachers here try to integrate arts into regular curriculum to insure broader range of learning and development. There are a number of after-school enrichment programs available: computer classes, dance, children's theater, dulcimer, voice and piano. Some of these are available for adults as well, since the school also serves as a community center for athletics and adult learning. Banner Elk elementary has a partnership with Lees-McRae College (LMC) and Appalachian State University, which results in staff development and resources exchange.

Starting in Fall 2000, with the help of LMC, the school will become a K-16 High Country School of the Arts, Liberal Arts, and Technology (High Country S.A.L.T.). Many local people are involved with the school as volunteers, so the general atmosphere is of support, community of friends, and dedication to learning.

Banner Elk Elementary School
185 Azalea Circle
Banner Elk, NC 28604
Phone: (828) 898-5575
Fax: (828) 898-6036
Homepage: http://www.averyschools.net/bes/

Other schools in the area:
    Avery County High School, Newland
    Avery Middle School, Newland
    Newland Elementary, Newland
    Beech Mountain Elementary, Beech Mountain
    Cranberry Middle School, Cranberry
    Crossnore Elementary, Crossnore
    Freedom Trail Elementary, Elk Park
    Watauga High School, Boone

Other colleges in the area:
    Appalachian State University, Boone
    Mayland Community College, Spruce Pine

Avery County Schools
P.O. Box 1360
Newland NC, 28657
Phone: (828) 733-6006
Fax: (828) 733-8943
Homepage: http://www.averyschools.net/

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