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#2 – Florence & Petersburg Schools
AUGUST 21, 2026
Are you ready to be taken back in time with some then and now photos? Schools in Boone County have had their fair share of changes. Over the decades, they went from one room schoolhouses to consolidated high schools. Changes in the education system meant changes in the school buildings themselves.
Florence, one of the bigger towns in the county, had its own high school for between 1911 and 1954. At the time, the only high school in the county was Burlington High School, which was quite a distance for students to travel who lived in Florence. Two rooms were added to Florence Elementary to house the high school students who could study there for two years. After the two years they would need to go to Burlington High School to complete their high school education. In 1913 Florence High School went to a four year program. In 1954 Florence High School closed. It was consolidated with the Burlington, New Haven and Hebron high schools to form the new Boone County High School, which opened its doors that fall. Today, the old Florence High School building is still a school and houses Rise Academy.
Consolidated graded schools, housing grades one to twelve under one roof, were built throughout the county in the 1900s, replacing the one- and two-room rural schools of an earlier era. The Petersburg Graded School was the best-preserved of these early consolidated schools. It served the county until 1986. Kelly Elementary School opened in the fall of 1986 replacing Petersburg Elementary. The building was torn down in 2004 and recently replaced by a new community center with a gym, firehouse, and the Chapin Memorial Library.
We have many yearbooks for several of the schools in Boone County, some dating back to the early 1910s! However, we still have missing years. So if you’re looking to get rid of any, contact us to see what we’re missing.
MORE POSTS:
#1 – The Vest House
JULY 24, 2026
Our celebration continues with a new theme for our posts – Then and Now, where we will share photos from the past with a current image of the site today (whether the building is still standing or not). This property once belonged to Revolutionary War Patriot, George Vest. Vest was born in May of 1760. He enlisted in March 1776 in Virginia and fought for most of the war. His company fought against Lord Dunmore at Middlesex. He also fought against the Cherokee Indians in Tennessee. He was discharged in November 1776. The following March, Vest reenlisted as a Private. During this service, he was involved in battles against the Cherokee Indians and guarding the frontier. After 8 months, he was discharged.
In February of 1778, Vest reenlisted once again. This time, his company was assigned to the Army of George Rogers Clark. He served for another 3 years before getting sick and was discharged.
Vest first appears in Boone County in 1809, on the tax list. The following year, he is listed on the census. He built a home around 1840 on Walton-Verona Road in Verona, KY. He passed away on February 22, 1845. His house still stands today. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is used a vacation rental property.
This information was obtained from “Revolutionary War Soldiers of Boone County” by Anthony W. Frohlich.
