Cades Cove is one of the most visited areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park because of its incredible history as the home of many early settlers in the Smokies! While you can still see many of the historical cabins, churches, and other structures when exploring the Cove, you may have noticed that there are no remaining schoolhouses. The last school standing in Cades Cove was actually the Cable School, which closed in 1944 over controversy between Blount County and the National Park Service. While little evidence remains of the original schools, we do know these 4 interesting facts about the education and schools in the history of Cades Cove:
1. Early Education was Very Limited
While education was important to the early settlers of Cades Cove, survival was the priority (especially during the harsh winters). Since there was nothing more important than staying alive, many of the original Cades Cove schools focused on preparing their students for life in their homesteads rather than offering a traditional educational experience. Although these primitive schools concentrated on teaching students the skills they would need to survive, they also educated students on how to thrive as a residents in Cades Cove.
2. Churches Offered Singing Schools to Teach “Sharp Note” Singing
Another one of the interesting fact about the education and schools in the history of Cades Cove is that the churches in Cades Cove offered singing schools to teach residents “sacred harp” singing. This was a traditional form of singing that started in the New England colonies in the 1700s and eventually worked its way down to Cades Cove. Singers would associate a given syllable with a particular scale and memorize the shapes of notes to help them find the correct pitch. Between 1870 and the 1930s, the churches in Cades Cove offered singing schools to teach the residents of the community the skills associated with this “Shape Note” singing.
3. The Introduction of Field Schools
The first actual schoolhouses in Cades Cove were known as “field schools” since they were typically situated in cleared fields. These were very basic log structures with floors made of dirt, glass-less windows, a fire pit to keep warm in winter, and a hole in the roof for smoke to escape. Families who lived in close proximity would share a building for their field school and work together to find the funds to compensate the teacher. Prior to the introduction of these field schools, most settlers had homeschooled their children to educate them about daily life on the homestead.
4. Churches Doubled as Schools
It is well known that religion was an important part of Cades Cove's history and an essential part of life for the early settlers in the Cove. When the area began to grow in population, those with similar religious beliefs began to congregate for fellowship and worship. This led to the establishment of churches in Cades Cove, several of which you can still see today while traveling along the Loop Road. Since the churches were seldom used outside of the services, they became a place where many children would go to school.
As you can see, education and schools played an important role in the history of Cades Cove. While it is unfortunate that none of the original schools remain, there are many other remnants of the community that have been left behind and beautifully preserved. Be sure to check out these 4 interesting historical structures in Cades Cove!
