History of Dutch Valley

Dutch Valley Elementary School is located on Walden’s Ridge at the eastern edge of the Cumberland escarpment in Anderson County, Tennessee.  While listed as a metropolitan area by the state, the school campus is located in a rural farming community six miles north west of Clinton, the county seat. The enrollment at Dutch Valley as of November 2007 is 164 PreK-5^th grade students.  Many of our students can trace their family lineage to the original German settlers of the late 1700’s.

According to local oral history, the first school was constructed by the concerned citizens of the community about 1840 on property donated by the Robbins family. This log building is thought to have been built on or near the present school property.   Shortly after the civil war, the log building was destroyed by fire, and for several years the old log Sulphur Springs Methodist Church was used as a school.  In 1889 the county built a two room school adjacent to the present campus, followed by a “modern” brick building with four rooms and partial basement in 1915 on the current property.

In 1956, fire again struck the school, resulting in a new building with five classrooms, cafeteria, library, clinic and office. At that time the name of the school was changed from Sulphur Springs School to Dutch Valley, honoring the original Pennsylvania Dutch (German) settlers of the area.  A 1966 addition added two classrooms and a gym, with a portable building soon to follow.  In 1994 five classrooms and a new library were constructed.  In 1999, four classrooms were added. A new gymnasium with a stage and music room was built in 2005 to replace the original one built in 1966.

Mr. Fletcher Dail was principal at Dutch Valley from 1940 until his retirement in 1975. Mr. George Wilson became principal in 1975 and served until 1980.  In 1980, Mr. Arnold Swain came to Dutch Valley as principal, remaining at Dutch Valley until his retirement in 1994.  Mr. Don Martin served until his retirement in 2004.  In 2004, Mrs. Katrina Argo Oakley became the principal serving two years. Mr. Mike Harmening is currently serving his third year as our principal.