C.T. Mathes was thanked for rebuilding the Adshead Arch by Richard Woodard, Executive Director of
Uplands Village and Cole family at the Pleasant Hill Academy and High School Alumni Reunion.
Pleasant Hill Ramblings
Jean Clark
Chronicle contributor
There were over 80 people at the 118th Reunion of the Pleasant Hill Academy
and High School at the luncheon and program held in the PH Community House in
July. The President of the Alumni Association, Iris Cole Miracle welcomed the
assembly and introduced her brother Thomas Cole; sister, Dinah Cole Goodwin;
and several other members of their families. The primary reason the Cole
children, grandchildren, in-laws, and great grandchildren were in attendance was
to thank C.T. Mathes in person for rebuilding the Alice Adshead Arch in the Van
Dyck area of Pleasant Hill in honor of Denton “Dink” and Virginia Cole.
Richard Woodard, Executive Director of Uplands Village, presented a photograph
of Mathes at the rebuilt arch and a Certificate of Appreciation stating, “For
outstanding craftsmanship of rebuilding ‘The Alice Adshead Arch’ and preserving
a piece of history for Uplands Village.” He also displayed the plate that would be
attached to the Arch stating that C.T. Mathes rebuilt the Arch in 2014 in honor
and memory of Dink and Virginia Cole. C.T. shared some memories he had of
neighbor and babysitter, Virginia Phipps and his teacher Denton Cole.
Iris Cole Miracle shared photographs of Virginia and Dink on their 60th wedding
anniversary in 1996 at the original arch and in front of the bench by Lake Laura
where they were married in 1936. Members of the Cole family gave C.T. touching
letters of appreciation. Grandson, Jon Goodwin told of his marriage proposal to
his now wife, Jennifer, on that trail. Granddaughter Jamie Goodwin Taylor
reminisced about grandparents, “papaw and mamaw” and their stories of early
Uplands history. She and husband, Robert, were married at the spot where her
grandparents married.
President Miracle introduced others besides the alumni who were attending the
event – her cousin, Doug Little, members of PH Historical Society, PH Mayor Al
Dwenger, L. A. Fox, teacher and coach; and the new principal of PH Elementary
School, Kari Rockwell. As she called a roll call of years, those alumnus present
were acknowledged.
1943 - Helen Chastain Jernigan and Emma Grissom Hitchcock.
1943-44 – Effie Bertram Crawford
1946 - Ann Cunningham Meisamer (last Academy graduating class)
1948 - Frank Meisamer, Margaret Haun
1949 - Floyd Gore
1950 - Herman Tucker and Upha Iles Ross
Those present were acknowledged from other years up until 1962 the last
graduating class of the Pleasant Hill High School. High School students began
attending Cumberland County High School in Crossville after that and the school
became PH Elementary with grades pre-K through 8th Grade. Secretary Mary
Uziel read the names of those who passed away since 2013 in a memorial
moment.
New officers elected were Jim Blaylock, President; Helen Page Bohannon Lewis,
Vice President; Margaret Lewis Wightman, Secretary; and Gretta Page Pugh,
Treasurer. The program was a viewing of the DVD “Pleasant Hill Academy. What
happened to the campus After 1947?” Narrated by Frank and Ann Meisamer,
Carlene Lewis, Harold Hughes, and Bill Wightman.