CAYCE, S.C. — A century-old school in Lexington County is finding a new way to serve the community.
The old Cayce Grammar School, which has stood for over 100 years, will soon be transformed into a residential development honoring its historical roots.
The project, known as Hattie's Crossing, will not only add twelve new homes to the area but also commemorate the legacy of Miss Hattie Derrenbacher, recognized as the first teacher in Cayce.
The historical significance of the site goes back to 1913 when Miss Hattie opened her home to teach Cayce children. Andy Thomas, curator of the Cayce Historical Museum, says Miss Hattie's classes had a humble beginning.
“In 1913, she opened up her house to teach students and she started, she had a bench there and she started 9 students grades 1 through 7. And so they were in the kitchen in front of her fire place and then that’s where she began to teach her students. She taught for about 2 years and then they moved, they found a gym that was bigger. They moved in 1915 and then eventually that would become Cayce Grammar School.”
The Cayce Grammar School building was last used in 1976, and since then, the property has remained vacant. Now, the land will honor Miss Hattie’s contributions to education by being developed into Hattie's Crossing, which will include twelve homes ranging from 1,200 to 1,600 square feet.
Brenda Hafner, superintendent of Lexington Two, reminded the community of the importance of continuing the work that Miss Hattie started.
"Reading is so important, and math is so important, and really instilling those life skills within our students and the character skills that I think Miss Hattie really focused on with our kids," Hafner said. "She was holding them accountable for being civic-minded community members, and I think that’s something we really try to perpetuate to this day as well.”
Thomas says its important to honor those who paved the way before us.
"Anytime you’ve got someone who is a leader in the field, a first in the field, it’s important to honor that legacy and to look back, especially because she was so progressive in pushing forward education as being a major component to success in life," Thomas said.
The new residential development will also include sidewalks along the property lines and a homeowners’ association to help maintain the beauty of the community.