West Forsyth High School: Then & Now

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West Forsyth High School opened in 1964, one of four new high schools to open in Forsyth County.  The other high schools were North Forsyth, East Forsyth, and Parkland.  All four high schools were three-year schools in the beginning.

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West Forsyth replaced Southwest High School which then became a junior high school, which covered grades 7 to 9.  Southwest was fed by students in Clemmons, Lewisville, and South Fork, including Vienna Elementary School.  There is an extensive history of West Forsyth High School on the school’s website at http://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/Page/9764

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The first principal of West Forsyth was Harold E. Simpson (1913-1997) who was formerly the principal of Lewisville School and Southwest High School.  Mr. Simpson left West Forsyth in 1970 to become an associate superintendent for the local school system.  The gymnasium at West Forsyth was named in honor of Mr. Simpson (pictured below).

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The original campus consisted of six buildings and they were numbered 100-600.  Five additional buildings were added to the campus and include classrooms, a gymnasium, and a Performing Arts Center that was recently named the Anderson Performing Arts Center (shown below) after Jim Anderson who taught English, directed musicals, and started the annual talent show at the school.

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Another principal, Jerry Peoples, was honored when the West Forsyth stadium was named for him.  Mr. Peoples was principal from 1979 to 1996. He was an assistant to Mr. Simpson in the late 1960s, after having taught history at North Forsyth High School.

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The school’s history relates other changes in the buildings and the staff over the years.

Here are some current photos of the West Forsyth High School campus, to compare with the early photos of West Forsyth when it was brand new.

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Black and white images courtesy of Forsyth County Public Library Photograph Collection.

Color images by Molly Grogan Rawls.

Stay tuned for the next historical post on September 1st.

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28 Responses

  1. Debi Linzey says:

    Wonderful article! I graduated from WFHS in 1973. I wanted to point out that Vienna Elementary was also a feeder school to Southwest Junior High, along with Clemmons, Lewisville, and South Fork Elementaries….

  2. Michael Messick says:

    I’m from the Class of 1970. I don’t remember a South Fork Elementary, but I came from Vienna Elementary along with a great deal of my class. Sorry to see it isn’t mentioned

    • Vicki Smith says:

      I went to South Fork. It was located on Country Club Rd. I graduated from West in 1972 and my oldest child went South Fork in 1979.

  3. Keith Vogler says:

    The article doesn’t mention that the entire campus was built on my family tobacco farm which my grandfather Lindsay Vogler sold to the school system in the early 60’s. The farm had been in the Blackburn and Vogler family since the late 1700s or early 1800s. I graduated from West in 1977.

  4. Tim Fishel says:

    Mr Simpson left at end of 71-72 school year and Moses Bridges moved from Southwest to West

  5. Amanda says:

    I started going to West Forsyth in 1984, when it turned into a 4 year school from grades 9-12. I graduated in 1986. Prior to that anyone remember going to Kennedy Junior High School? That was when they were busing all the children everywhere.

  6. Randal Blankenship says:

    I graduated in 1969, put off college and got drafted! Vietnam days!
    Remembered the “smoking ramp” outside the office! Glad I didn’t do that.
    Remember Harold Simpson, Jim Anderson (my English teacher), Miss Nordstrom(art),mrs Perdue(geometry and Algebra), Mr Young(gym and football). Tennis,baseball,track,high jump.

  7. william e smith says:

    I graduated with Keith Vogler in 1977 and was the last class to go grades 1- @ Vienna before going to Southwest Jr High! My Dad & Mom went to Southwest High School the first year it opened, dad coming from Clemmons & Mom from South Fork! They met & married, Dad graduated from Southwest, but Mom graduated from Gray because they were married before her senior year!

  8. Louis Newton says:

    The original Vogler plot was essentially a large ravine with a stream running through it. Most of the area occupied by the stadium, performing arts center and new gym along with the lower parking lot and baseball field are built on fill used to level this area. I wrote most of the history found on the school’s web site and worked there for over thirty years.

  9. DB says:

    Amanda- I went to Kennedy prior to West. Back then, it was two years here, two years there, etc etc. I remember South Fork, Bolton and Membane in the mix as well. We clocked a lot of miles riding around in buses in the 70s. 🙂

  10. Keith Vogler says:

    To set the record straight, the description above in an earlier message calling the original Vogler property simply a large ravine is in error. The 60 acre tract comprising West Forsyth which was bought from my grandfather was a working farm for over 100 years. It had a 10 acre tract of tobacco and some additional acreage planted with other crops. Additionally the property housed a large two story farmhouse, two tobacco barns, and a tennant farmer rental house . This is the detailed description of the property from my living father, Bill Vogler. Additionally I have vague memories of visiting the property as a 4 year old before the county purchased it.

  11. Joel Southern says:

    One of the other schools that fed Southwest and West for many years was Vienna Elementary. My three brothers, my sister and I all went to Vienna, Southwest and West. Due to busing plans aimed at desegregation of the school system, I also attended Cook Elementary for one year and Kennedy High School for 2 years. My oldest brother graduated from West in 1967 and I was the last of the line, graduating in 1978. I was the student trainer assisting trainer Ed Sugg in looking after the aches and pains of the boys, football and basketball teams and helped both as student trainer and assistant coach of the girls’ softball team. I spent many long, fun hours at West.

  12. Steve Lawing says:

    Oh you go to West? What kind of tractor do you drive? Might have been the comment from our competition which was called “society hill” If I had been able to fathom the changes that would transpire between my graduating class of 72 and now, I might have been a better student of history… For the record though, West owned a Ford tractor and I DID learn to drive it in Gene Pratt’s class.. Great times and memories, fantastic school today making Clemmons a highly desired destination for families with children.

  13. Wanda says:

    I attended Clemmons Elementary, Southwest junior High and West Forsyth High graduating in 1970. Great schools, great memories.

  14. Erin Cumby Collins says:

    My father was in the first graduating class and my mom the next year. My father had Mr Simpson for his principal from 1st through 12th grade

  15. Vienna Elem., Southwest, and West. Those were the days, “Beer, Women, Wine, we’re the Class of ’69”. Married Nancy summer of ’68. NC wouldn’t let married students attend same school, so I had to go to North for Senior year. Remember some discussions with Mr. Peoples! Don’t remember anything about North

  16. Carol Brandon says:

    Thank you for this walk down memory lane. I graduated in 1977.

  17. Chris says:

    Class of 92. Great learning about the history of the school and land it was built on! In my there 1988-1992 the school looked almost like it did when it was originally built, w/ the exception of the new gymnasium.

  18. Vikki Cloer says:

    If anyone from the 70s and 80s remembers Mr. Beatty or Mr. Coghill they are both still at West. Jim Coghill often is a substitute teacher and Charles Beatty is the curriculum coordinator. Jim is still in contact with several of the administrators and teachers including Mr. Peoples.

  19. Anne Stamey Blythe says:

    Coach Louis Newton was my teacher for Anatomy & Physiology and also wrestling coach for which I was a mat maid 1976-77. He believed in his students abilities and was a great encouraging force as to why I pursued by nursing dream. Now after 43 years I am still following that dream

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