In 1920, the white school districts of Hopkins, Horrell Hill, Lykesland, and Bellwood consolidated as Richland County School District Five and combined their upper level schools into one high school. In 1923, the new district built a new Consolidated High School Number One for an estimated $46,900 on 52.9 acres on Garners Ferry Road. The school had six classrooms and an auditorium. The rooms were heated by wood stoves.
W.Q. Claytor was the chairman of the school board; Breck Templeton was the first superintendent; and Gelzer Baldwin was the first principal. One of the early teachers was Mrs. Ben Coleman.
In the first class in 1928 were Homer J. Abney, Clemons Anderson Clarkson, Bruce Dayvault Cloaninger, Mary Elizabeth Gorman, Jennie Mae McCracken, Leora Reese, Charles Edward Sloan, and Joel Adams Weston.
The name of the school was changed to Lower Richland High School in 1942 suggested by Ed Mustard, class of 1942.
Mary Hogan graduated in 1931 as valedictorian and came back to teach in 1936. She retired in the 1970s. She died this week at age 92.
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