Historical Marker

Eminence College Site

Chartered as a high school by Kentucky Legislature in 1856. The school had as trustees Dr. D. Porter, S.T. Drane, Morris Thomas, Preston Thomas, James Drane, W.B. Wilson, and W.J. Mason. In 1861, the name Eminence College conferred on it. Men and women were equally represented at one of state's first coeducational boarding schools. Presented by City of Eminence and Henry County Fiscal Court.

Reverse

Rev. W.S. Giltner (1827-1921) - President of Eminence College from 1858-1893, W.S. Giltner trained at Bethany College, W. Va. He and his wife, Lizzie Rains Giltner, led the college, creating a commercial dept. (1880) and normal school for training teachers (1886). Reverend Giltner also preached at Eminence Christian Church. Enrollment peaked around 200; college closed in 1895.