Covington erected a building on this site in 1910 for use as a high school. It opened in 1911 as Byars-Hall High School, named to memorialize prominent former educators Judge Byars, headmaster of the male high school in Covington, and Captain James I. Hall, headmaster of the Mountain Academy in Mt. Carmel. Byars-Hall occupied this site from 1911 to 1970. It was a joint county and city high school of the first class and operated under the state law governing county high schools. It offered four-year courses of study that prepared students for college and the practical duties and responsibilities of life. In 1921, Byars-Hall was declared an A-1, the highest classification for a high school, and was one of only seven A-1 schools in the state. Throughout its existence, Byars-Hall maintained high academic standing and achieved great success in academics and athletics. More than 3600 students graduated from Byars-Hall.