Harmony's History

Harmony Elementary School, originally built on the corner of Thompson Mill Road and Bogan Road, was named for the community of Harmony. As the community grew, another building was erected behind the old wooden Harmony Baptist Church, which is still on the corner of Thompson Mill Road and Bogan Road. The records from 1923 reads as follows:
 

    After teaching one year, Glenn C. Jones became principal in 1939. He was also the janitor, basketball coach (two teams), bus driver (for 19 years), and teacher (until about nine years before his retirement). At that time, the grades at Harmony were one through nine. The school had homemade desks and coal heaters, and the older boys would draw water from the well before recess to furnish drinking water.
    The basketball teams were champions even though they only had dirt courts to play on. They were never tiring and when put on an indoor court, they walked away with championships. Sometimes Harmony hosted basketball games during the day. It created much excitement, comparable to that of today's Field Day.
    School buses were boarded in the church yard, so when there were afternoon funerals at the church, school would have to be dismissed early. When the county built a bus loading drive on the other side of the school, that problem was resolved.
    In 1945, Mr. Jones, along with other principals, were asked to attend a class, Planning Health Programs, at the University of Georgia.  He was only one of two who received credit because he came back to the community and implemented the program.  As a result of this program, the Harmony Improvement Club was formed.  The parents had chicken suppers and stews to raise enough money for the improvements.  Soon, Fort Oglethorpe was disbanding, and was giving away old Army barracks and surplus equipment, which included coal stoves and metal trays.  This equipment was used to begin Harmony's first lunchroom.  Mr. Jones hired three cooks at $1.00 a day to prepare lunches that cost five cents each!
    The trustees for Harmony were Wheeler Liles, Henry Marshall, Astor Puckett, Lloyd Higgins, Will Hamilton, Alf Jones, Clarence Thrasher, Armon Wiggins, Hugo Puckett, Gordon Reed, and Ernest Parks.
    In the middle 1950's, the trustees were disbanded, and the ninth grade was moved to Sugar Hill High School.  Consolidation was an issue, and the board was going to close Harmony and send the children to the Lawrenceville and Dacula districts.  Mr. Jones went to the board to ask Superintendent Wilbanks  (a different one, of course) to consider the children.  Superintendent Wilbanks and the board reconsidered, and that is why Harmony is where it is today.  The Gravel Springs School burned in 1956-1957, and consolidated with Harmony in the old building.
    The building housing Harmony Elementary at 3946 South Bogan Road, Buford, was built in 1957 to replace the school (grades one through eight) at the corner of Bogan Road and Thompson Mill Road.  After the school was under construction, more acreage was purchased from Vassie Hulsey.  This additional acreage extended the property from Bogan Road to Maddox Road.  The property where the original building stands was purchased from Hugh Wallis.  The school had its first phone upon moving into the new building.  Two classrooms and two extra bathrooms were added to the building in 1959-60.  The 1960-61 eighth grade class was moved to North Gwinnett High School after attending Harmony for three weeks.  Then in 1962, the brick gym and four additional classrooms were added, with dedication of the gym being held on January 5, 1963.
    Dr. Randall  C. Edwards picked Harmony to pilot the Appalachian reading project.  "Harmony hosted dignitaries from all over the county, University of Georgia, other universities and colleges from throughout the state.  Brooks Coleman was among one of the visitors!"  Mr. Jones recalled with pride.
    The sixth and seventh grades moved to the newly opened Lanier Middle School in October, 1973, leaving Harmony with grades one through five.  Also, the summer of 1973 found the school with its first paved area for parking and bus lanes.
    Mr. Jones retired at the end of the 1973 school year after 35 years of services at Harmony.  James W. Frederick became principal in the fall of 1973.  Agnes Jones, wife of the principal, retired as secretary of the school at the same time after working from the middle 1950's until 1973.  (She had been the school's only secretary until then).
    In 1978, the building was completely renovated and a new office, music room, library, and two classrooms were added.  The first North End addition was completed in the 1991-1992 school year.  Thirteen new classrooms were added.  The second North End addition was completed (twelve classrooms) for the 1993-1994 school year, the same year that Mr. Frederick retired.  In April, 1995 the entire school was relocated to this addition, including the office area, while the old part of the building was renovated.  In the Fall of 1995, third and fifth grade classes, the resources classes, and the FOCUS teacher moved to the renovated area.  At the same time, Dr. Stone, the secretary, the clerk, and Dr. Fundis moved into their present locations. Dr. Stone and Dr. Fundis left Harmony in 1999 to open the new Riverside Elementary in Sugar Hill, Georgia.

Mr. Gary Yetter became principal at that time, Mr. Yetter retired in 2006.

Mrs. Anne Marie Keskonis became the principal of Harmony Elementary in 2006. Mrs. Keskonis came to Harmony from Simpson Elementary.

A big thank you to Gail Montgomery who wrote the original version of this history for a Gwinnett County publication several years ago!