At the turn of the 20th century, Oconee County found itself in the midst of tremendous change. Watkinsville and the surrounding areas had long been known for their deep agricultural roots, but as farms faced uncertainties about cotton and other local crops, industrialization began to expand within the county. The area was growing quickly, and it became quite clear that Watkinsville was in need of a new school to house Oconee’s 2,398 students. As part of passed legislation requiring a public school system in every county, Oconee County High School opened its doors in 1902. 

The lack of transportation infrastructure made it difficult for children to commute on a daily basis, so many were boarded in Watkinsville for the school year. The addition of a bus system a few years later enabled students from all over Oconee to attend the school. This led to a significant increase in attendance, as many began commuting to OCHS rather than attending smaller rural schools. 

This expansion caused existing buildings to become inadequate to house the entire student body, and so in 1918, the school was expanded to create more room. The school was expanded again in 1920 as growth continued to increase.

By 1933 Oconee County had fallen into significant financial turmoil from the Great Depression. As part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, a gymnasium was to be constructed as an addition to Oconee County High School. Rocket Hall was constructed, providing community members with a place to cheer on local sports teams. It is reported that the gym took roughly 4 months to complete. Workers reportedly earned a whopping 15 cents per hour(roughly $2.94 in today’s money). The nearby school street studio was also constructed around the same time using funding from the WPA.

In 1954 Oconee County High School went up in flames, permanently damaging the entirety of the new additions that had been added on in 1918 & 1920. It was now just the original brick structure that remained.

It was about this time that the high school moved out of the building, leaving it for the elementary school to use. The elementary school left in 1968 and the building was then used by the kindergarten until 1987.

In 1994 the building was leased to the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundations (OCAF). In 2000 OCAF purchased the buildings and began the process of converting them into what they are today. 

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