By William “Skip” Deegans
Shown in this 1920s photo is the Crichton graded school in Crichton, WV. In 1923, Greenbrier County voters ratified a bond issue of $110,000 to build new graded schools in Rainelle, Crichton, Kieffer, and Crawley. Completed in 1924, the eight-room Crichton school was named after the Crichton family that owned Johnstown Coal and Coke Company – one of the original coal mining companies in Greenbrier County.
It didn’t take long for the Crichton School to excel. In 1925, The West Virginia News reported that the school was inspected by the assistant state supervisor of rural schools, and out of a possible perfect 100, Crichton School scored 90.5 points. It was the first and only graded school of that class in Greenbrier County. The article noted that Cabell County, including Huntington, contained no graded schools of equal rank and only one school in Charleston scored as high as Crichton. The school had nine teachers, and the principal was Mr. W. O. Stlanaker. Until the Crichton School expanded to include a high school, older students from Marfrance, Quinwood, Crichton, and Leslie rode to Rainelle High School on a rail passenger car.
Sources: The West Virginia News, The Education of William & Margaret Crichton: A Family History by Jean Crichton.
