HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL

The Middletown School completed construction in 1928 and opened its doors in 1929 with a student population of 434 and 17 faculty members. It housed grades 1-12 and cost approximately $175,000 to build. It included 20 well-lit, heated, and ventilated “modern” classrooms and a 700 seat capacity auditorium that converted to a gymnasium. According to a Middletown Transcript article in 1929, the school “is a thing of beauty as well as surpassing utility and convenience.”

This once rural agricultural community has definitely been impacted by the tremendous growth of the surrounding communities and the influx of new families and students. Today, the building that sits on South Broad Street in Middletown is one of soon to be three middle schools housing 6-8 grades. EMMS has a student enrollment over 1,100 students and 85 faculty members. It includes over 60 classrooms, a 500 capacity auditorium, and the Ellis Lecrone Gymnasium—named after the principal Everett Meredith worked for as a history teacher.

CAMPAIGN TO NAME OUR SCHOOL WHEN IT BECAME A MIDDLE SCHOOL

Louise Atwell, secretary from 1954 to 1973 for Everett Meredith was inspired by naming of the elementary school, Olive B. Loss, in Brennan Estates in 2002. Since our school was already named Middletown Middle School at that time, Ms. Atwell was determined to name the now known Brick Mill Elementary School after Mr. Meredith.

Together with Helen Kimmey and Frances Rhoades, Louise formed a group which they called Friends of Everett Meredith. They spearheaded an effort to name the new elementary school after him.

With the help of former graduates, they got a petition together and sent it all over the community to homes, businesses, and churches gathering 300 signatures from people who knew Meredith and his impact on the community. Atwell then sent out requests to local people who had been taught by or had contact with Meredith during his tenure in the local district. Many of these individuals wrote letters supporting the proposal, recounting their own personal experiences with Mr. Meredith and how he impacted their lives and careers.

All of this, along with the petition and a letter of request, was sent to the Appoquinimink School Board. The Board reviewed the request and to the delight of the Friends of Everett Meredith, the Board suggested renaming the Middletown Middle School—the same building where Mr. Meredith served as a history teacher, guidance counselor, class advisor, and principal—after him instead.

That’s how Middletown Middle School became Everett Meredith Middle School in June of 2002.