Fort Mill School District Honors Old High School Site With Historical Marker

FORT MILL, SC — The Fort Mill School District will dedicate a historical marker Tuesday at the site of the original Fort Mill High School, recognizing more than six decades of local educational history on Banks Street.

The ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 30th at the corner of Banks Street and Academy Street in Fort Mill. District leaders will be joined by members of the Fort Mill High School Class of 1969 and elected officials to unveil the marker. The public is invited to attend.

For longtime residents, the corner marks more than a school. It represents a piece of the town’s identity, a gathering place that shaped generations of Fort Mill students long before the district grew into the multi school system it is today.

The original Fort Mill High School opened on Banks Street on September 4, 1952, and served as the town’s high school for more than three decades. In 1986, the district opened a new Fort Mill High School on Munn Road, which became the primary high school campus and remains so today.

After the high school relocated, the Banks Street building continued serving Fort Mill students and residents. It was used to house lower grade students before later supporting other academic functions and community outreach programs. The original structure stood for more than sixty years until it was torn down in 2013.

While the school building itself no longer stands, the old gymnasium continues to serve the community. The Fort Mill Parks and Recreation Department now operates the Banks Street Gym at the location, keeping the property active as a community gathering space even after the classrooms it once held are gone.

Tuesday’s dedication offers members of the Class of 1969 and other alumni a chance to mark that history publicly, formally connecting the site’s recreational present to its educational past for future generations of Fort Mill residents.

The historical marker dedication ceremony begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Banks Street and Academy Street in Fort Mill.