Morehead Street
On September 22, 1941, we opened our doors in the Stuart Cramer home on Morehead Street, leasing the property for $100 per month. By the end of our first year, we had 18 students. At that time, Charlotte had a population of just 100,889. A Chevrolet was priced at $725, and a four-bedroom house in Eastover cost $30,000. Tuition for kindergartners was $112, while sixth graders paid $350. The inaugural year presented many challenges, including low enrollment, financial instability, and inadequate facilities.
Selwyn Avenue
In September 1942, the Cramer home was deemed "a bit of a fire risk," so the school relocated to the former home of Senator James Bell on Selwyn Avenue, a block from Queens University. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees secures a permanent home for the new school. There are 45 students and five teachers during the second year. At the Selwyn Avenue site, lunch is served family-style in the close-knit school. With the United States involved in World War II, Country Day is still very much a struggling school.
Sharon Road
We move to a third location—a 12-bedroom brick house on Sharon Road that is remodeled to meet school needs.
Sardis Road
In September 1945, Country Day opens on a new six-acre site on Sardis Road, purchased for $20,000. Though it serves as our home for 15 years, it consists of temporary buildings put up by the Roosevelt administration to house the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. It has a main building, two barracks-like structures, and a gym.