Mary H. Wright History

1. Mary Honor Farrow Wright
Educator, Mother, Founder

2. Mary Honor Farrow was born August 11,
1862 on Magnolia Street in Spartanburg, SC.
Her parents were Lott and Adeline Farrow.

3. Sisters, Clara Henry (Carrie) and Mary Honor Farrow,
both became leading educators in Spartanburg.
(about 1880)

4. Mary married William Corbert Wright in 1884.
20 years 22 years

5. Children of Mary Honor Farrow Wright
Mary and William had 10 children. Five were boys and
five were girls. Two of the boys (twins) died in infancy.

7. Mary H. Wright’s Children
J. Bratton Wright, Carrie Nell Bennie Mae Two of Mary’s
4th son, became Hamilton, Mansel, daughters pose
a shoemaker 3rd daughter, 5th daughter, for a photograph
in Washington, DC. held a taught school in the early 1900s.
government in Spartanburg.
position in
Washington,
DC.

8. Members of the
Farrow-Wright
family dressed
for church in the
early 1900s

9. Farrow Belle McWhirter,
granddaughter
of Mary H. Wright

10. Mary H. Wright began teaching in 1879,
at the age of 17. She taught school
in Spartanburg for 65 years.
Her advice to anyone wanting to be
a teacher was :
“They must love children
and have patience.”

11. Mary Honor Wright (first from right) is pictured with students
from Highland Elementary School in the 1930s.

12. Mary Wright did not limit her activities to teaching. In the 1940s
she started a chapter of the American Red Cross at the new Tobe
Hartwell Apartments. Mary Wright is the second from the right
(holding the flag) and her eldest daughter, Addie is at the left.

13. In addition to teaching school,
Mary Wright ran a boarding house in her home at 388 Liberty Street.

14. In 1925, Mary began
a Christmas Tree for
orphaned and single
parent children.
On her death bed in
1946, she asked her
children to keep the
tree going after she
was gone. Pictured is
her eldest
daughter, Addie
McWhirter, at the
Christmas Tree Party
in 1974. The tradition
continued for 55
years until 1980.

15. Mary Honor Wright and her family are buried at the City Cemetery.

16. Mary H. Wright Elementary School,
built in 1951, was named in honor of
Mary Honor Wright.

17. The new school, built in 2000, still honors
the name of Mary Honor Wright.