heory and practice. The
rudiments of nutrition, food preparation, fabric and clothing
construction, were carried over into "Hominy Hall," a house owned by
William Ellmore, which housed the kitchen and serving areas for domestic
science courses. The girls spent several hours a week in this building,
gaining proficiency in the work which would probably occupy most of
their lives. Like the majority of the students' homes, Hominy Hall had
no running water, and baking was done on a large, wood-burning
stove.[242] The classes were taught by, among others, May Calhoun and
Louisa Glassal. Elizabeth Ellmore, principal of Floris Vocational High
School in 1929-1930, noted that because of the school's personal nature
the teachers had a fair amount of leeway in the character and depth of
the courses they taught--as much, in fact, as their students would allow
them.[243] One early teacher found the pupils very apt indeed, with
abilities equal to those of the town children she had previously taught.
Stated Lulah Ferguson:

So far as the interest was concerned you'd find that maybe those
children in Falls Church were a little more interested in affairs
in general, a little better informed generally, than these were,
but so far as their attitude towards studying or wanting to know,
you wouldn't find any difference. These country children were
really just as eager or maybe more so than some of the small
town....[244]

[Illustration: The championship girl's basketball team of Floris
Vocational High School, 1924-1925.]

[Illustration: The "Floris Follies," a minstrel presented at the Floris
school in March, 1939. Such activities were usually staged to benefit a
community activity. Photo courtesy of Louise McNair Ryder.]

[Illustration: The students of Floris Vocational High School, 1924.
Identified in July, 1970, as follows: Top row left to right: Jay Leith,
Warren Rosenburger, Jessie Torreyson, George T. McWhorter, III, Marie
Poland Bonde, Stella Sibley Jones, Eunice Milam Middleton (teacher),
Audrey Barton, Kelsie Hornbaker; Second row: Irving McNair, Louise
Melcher Ritter, Kate Patton Kincheloe, Sarah Patton Middleton, Rebecca
Middleton, Bradley Shear, Gilbert Presgrave; Third row: Amy Rogers
Nixon, Elsie Andrews Brown, Georgeanna Brogden Harrison, Camilla Carson
Harnsburger, Kneeland Leith, Irene Rogers Deuterman, Welby Nalls, Wade
Bennett; Fourth row: Frances Leith Greenwade, Lena Andrews, Glad