PARIS, TN: Former Lee school building gets name change

“The Board of Directors of the Robert E. Lee School Association is announcing today, August 28, 2020, that the Board has voted to change the name of the historic Robert E. Lee School to the Paris Academy for the Arts. The Association that owns the building, oversees its maintenance, and manages the Paris Academy for the Arts will be legally known as the Paris Academy Association.

“The Board in making its decision wishes to compliment the previous Boards who took a challenging position to save the school and renovate the building as an asset to the community by supporting arts education and the historic neighborhood of downtown Paris. The Board also believes that in its vision of community unity and working toward the future, not the past, the name of both the school and the association should be changed.

“The Board of Directors wishes to express its appreciation to our longtime supporters, past Board members, friends/donors, and financial benefactors, many of whom originally did not think we could save an old building and create something of worth and service to our community. There will be those who do not support our decision, but the Board has always been composed of citizen-volunteers who care about our community and its ability to adapt to circumstances and move forward. Otherwise, we would not have done in the past what has been done; nor would we have made the decisions we have made for all of our futures.”

Formerly known as Robert E. Lee School, the current structure dates back to 1881. It became the City High School in 1893, a capacity it served in until the opening of Grove High School in 1906.

From that point, it served as an elementary school until 1975. The Robert E. Lee School Association took over the building in 2002, with the Lee Academy for the Arts established in 2004.