An early problem, and a very serious one, was to find suitable quarters for holding school and for religious services. The Judges of the County Commissioners Court responded to this great need on March 5, 1823, when they ordered "that Francis Moore is to have the use of the court house for school and preaching purposes, by repairing the same and keeping it in order, but the clerks are to have the sole use of the upper rooms to keep their offices in." From papers now on file in the county clerk’s office it is evident that Mr. Moore taught two or three "subscription" schools. The first meetings of the Presbyterian church were held in the first court house. In fact, the church was organized there.

     The story has been handed down from generation to generation that the first school in Golconda was located somewhere north of Main Street, in the neighborhood of the mill, now owned by Henry Walter. A reference to page 290 of Deed Record A definitely settles the lot on which the first school was located. "On March 5, 1829, Daniel Field and his wife, Elizabeth Field, deeded to Mr. William Simm, Thomas Lowth and Shadrach Waters, trustees for the citizens of the town of Golconda, all that piece or parcel of ground lying and being in said town of Golconda, known and designated on the plat of said town by No. 74, fronting 60 feet on Decatur Street and running north one hundred and thirty two feet, and to their successors in office for the use and benefit of the citizens of Golconda to erect on said lot a house or houses to be exclusively used and occupied for school purposes and divine worship; and if thought advisable by said trustees and their successors at any time to erect on said lot a house or houses for the use of said citizens of Golconda."
The building erected on this lot was used as a school and also for religious meetings. The site of the present Presbyterian Church was formerly owned by the Green B. Field estate, and passed through various hands until it was sold to Joah W. McCoy, Henry Wiseman, Newton D. Clark, James McCoy, John Gilbert, Thos. H. Smith, A. H. Buel, G. W. Kimball and Voluntine Smith, and was used by them to erect a building known and used as the Golconda Female Seminary. Later the school was abandoned, the lot was sold to the Presbyterian Church, and the building was moved down on Main Street, about where Clayton Ramage’s Pressing Shop now stands, and was used by Dr. John V. Schuchardt as an office and store. The bell of the old Seminary was sold to the Presbyterians and is in use today.
____Copied from Trampe’s Pope County Historical Review p. 79. This article was not dated. It is placed beside an article that was dated 1933.

There is an excellent history written by Mildred McCormick located in the Golconda Public Library. History of Pope County Schools was compiled in 1995.