Burch High School

Burch High School

Old Burch High School
Address
Burch High School: 1 Bulldog Boulevard
Old Burch High School: Eutaw Avenue
Delbarton, West Virginia 25670
United States
Coordinates Burch High School: 37°40′38″N 82°10′45″W / 37.677239695835695°N 82.17905402183533°W / 37.677239695835695; -82.17905402183533Coordinates: 37°40′38″N 82°10′45″W / 37.677239695835695°N 82.17905402183533°W / 37.677239695835695; -82.17905402183533
Old Burch High School: 37°42′41″N 82°11′08″W / 37.71141865080228°N 82.18548059463501°W / 37.71141865080228; -82.18548059463501
Information
School type Public, High School
Established 1921 (1921)
Status Closed
Closed June 2011
School board Mingo County Board of Education
Grades 7 to 12
Language English
Campus Town
Color(s) Red      white      blue     
Athletics Basketball, Football, Baseball, Volleyball
Mascot Bulldog
Team name Burch Bulldogs
Rivals Tug Valley High School
Matewan High School
Williamson High School
Gilbert High School
Newspaper Bulldog's Bark
Yearbook The Bulldog
Feeder schools Burch Middle School
Website BHS Alumni Forum Website

Burch High School (BHS) was a public high school in Delbarton, West Virginia. It was closed in June 2011.[1]

History

In 1916, under the leadership of Lee District board members James A. Farley, Bill Maynard, John Pinson, District Supervisor Lacy Chapman, and Superintendent of Schools Sam Curry, the plan for a new high school was started.

In the fall of 1918, Frank Totten and Claude Dove, principals of the Rock House and Upper Elk schools respectively, were brought to Mingo County to organize the new school. These two principals organized a third-class high school in 1919 at Rock House. In the fall of that year, they moved the new Rock House High School to Upper Elk with Claude Dove as principal. After moving, Rock House High School was promoted to a second-class high school.

In the fall of 1921, Rock House High School moved back to Rock House as a first-class high school and the school's name was changed to Burch High School.

The first graduating class, in 1922, comprised twenty-one students. Of this 1922 class, two became attorneys, five went on to become doctors, and twelve became teachers. James Bertram "Bert" Curry (1901–2004), the valedictorian of the class, became a very successful carpenter,[2] and lived to the grand age of 103 years.

First Graduating Class

Burch High School shared its halls and classrooms with Burch Junior High for many years. In June 1987, Burch High School and Burch Junior High School separated. Burch Junior High remained in the same building while Burch High School moved to a new facility adjacent to the existing Mingo County Vocational School in Airport Bottom, approximately 3 miles south on Route 52. The BHS class of 1987 was the last class to graduate from the old school while the class of 1988 was the first to graduate from the new Burch High School.

In June 2011, Burch High School closed its doors for the last time. The 90-year-old school was consolidated with Gilbert, Matewan, and Williamson high schools to form Mingo Central High School, which opened in August 2011. The new school sits at an elevation of 1,940 feet on a 90 acre site along the King Coal Highway in Delbarton, WV (approx. 7 miles southeast of Delbarton).[3]

Principals

School Song

The School Song of Burch High School was adapted from Sam Houston State University's "Alma Mater".[4][5] It was most commonly played or sung at Burch High School class assemblies and sporting events.

"Hail to Burch High School, Hats off to you,
Ever you'll find us, Loyal and true;
Firm and undaunted, Ever we'll be.
Here's to the school we love.
Here's a toast to thee!"

Athletics

Burch High School earned four state basketball titles.
Boys' Basketball - 1957(B), 1989(A), 1991(A), 1993(A)

Boys' Coaches (unknown sport)

Baseball

The first Burch baseball team was formed in 1952 by Coach Jake Maynard. The team lasted till 1957, then went through a 19-year period with no baseball team. The team returned in 1976.

Boys' Baseball Coaches

[6]

Basketball

BHS won the first-ever basketball state title by a Mingo County high school in 1957 (Burch (27-1) 58, Barrackville (24-4) 54), under coach Bill Young. John Maynard, a future Burch head coach, played on that team under the old Class B division.

Burch then won the Class A title in 1989 (Burch (23-2) 70, Bishop Donahue (20-5) 61), with Coach John Maynard; then two more in 1991 (Burch (23-3) 67, Peterstown (25-1) 53), and in 1993 (Burch (24-3) 70, Doddridge Co. (14-12) 42), under Coach Mike Smith. On March 16, 2011, the Bulldogs played their final basketball game.[7][8] Burch played its final home basketball game, on February 25, 2011 against Regional Christian School of Delbarton, WV.

State Basketball Titles

Old Class "B"
1957 (State Title) vs. Barrackville (58-54 FINAL)

Class "A"
1989 (State Title) vs. Bishop Donahue (70-61 FINAL)
1991 (State Title) vs. Peterstown (67-53 FINAL)
1993 (State Title) vs. Doddridge County (70-42 FINAL)

Boys' Basketball Coaches

Boys' Junior High Basketball Coaches

Girls' Basketball Coaches

Football

Boys' Football Coaches

Villis Stepp/Kenny Maynard-1961

References

  1. ↑ http://www.wsaz.com/newswestvirginia/headlines/Mingo_Schools_Holding_Graduation_for_Last_Time_123162748.html
  2. ↑ http://burchalumni.org/index.php?action=downloads;sa=downfile&id=4
  3. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  4. ↑ http://shsu.edu/about/traditions.html
  5. ↑ http://shsu.edu/mp3/AlmaMater2003.mp3
  6. ↑ Source: Mike Smith, former BHS coach, and James Ferrell, of Delbarton, WV; the unofficial "official" historian for Burch High School Athletics, via the Burch Alumni Forum http://burchalumni.org
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-05-28. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  8. ↑ http://www.wvssac.org/new_site/wvssac_website/html/State%20Champions/Boys%20Basketball.pdf
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