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McReynolds High School in South Pittsburg, Tenn., deemed a total loss after fire

South Pittsburg, Tenn., officials said there is a movement to get the McReynolds High School gymnasium on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo by Ryan Lewis — South Pittsburg, Tenn., officials said there is a movement to get the McReynolds High School gymnasium on the National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Ryan Lewis South Pittsburg, Tenn., officials said there is a movement to get the McReynolds High School gymnasium on the National Register of Historic Places. Photo by Ryan Lewis

By Staff Report June 29, 2018 1 min read

The old McReynolds High School in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, has been deemed a total loss after a fire broke out Friday afternoon.

The city’s fire department Chief Corey Comstock said the building was fully engulfed by the time firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported, as the building had been unoccupied for quite some time.

The building had been burned in June of 2017 as well, he said. That fire was ruled an arson. Friday’s fire is still under investigation, though the building had no electricity and skies were clear, so there was no chance for lightning.

The school was built in 1921 after a committee of black citizens appeared before the board of education with a request to build a school for African American students, according to the South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society’s website. It was later abandoned in 1965 after a fire broke out then too.