About King William High School
King William High School is situated in the Central Garage area of King William County. This location is known for being the hub of the primary businesses and road networks in the county. The school has a rich history dating back to the 1920s, with significant changes in its designation over time.
Originally, Central High School was located at Sharon Church. The original building was constructed in 1925. In 1919, the King William County School Board established Sharon Indian School, a one-room frame building which served as an educational center for the Upper Mattaponi Tribe for more than 50 years. In 1922, the King William Training School was built for African Americans with support from the Julius Rosenwald Building Fund. Initially offering education for grades 1-9, it expanded to include grades 10-12 in 1946. The school complex included a four-room school, a home economics building, a shop building, privies, a baseball field, and other recreational facilities.
Following the 1954 Supreme Court decision to desegregate schools in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case, schools in the county were integrated. The final class from Sharon Indian School graduated in 1964, and the last class from the King William Training School was in 1950. Subsequently, all schools serving African-American students in the area were consolidated into King William School. In the same year, a new high school was constructed across the street and named Hamilton-Holmes High School. By 1970, King William High School was designated as the county's high school, and Hamilton-Holmes transitioned into the county's elementary school.