The First Union Academy
The first Union Academy was incorporated January 27, 1820. Citizens of Union had bought land for the purpose of putting up a building. By a law of 1840 a portion of the school quota of the county was set aside for the academy, now a flourishing School under Rev. L.A. Anderson. Among teachers were Rev. S.R.Houston, William Vawter, Dr. Waddell, Rev. R. Gray, Delilah Byrnside, Dr. R.R.Houston, G.M.Edgar, Ann Randolph, and Joseph Alderson. The history of the academy covered about half a century.
This school became one of the best known schools in this section of Virginia and had a career of large usefulness before the Civil war. It was here that the sons of many of the old Monroe families were educated…the Alexanders, Capertons, Chapmans, Steeles, Campbells, Tiffanys, Shanklins, Burdettes, Nickells, Hayes, Hintons, Packs, Pecks, Hamiltons, Manna, Clarks, Loudermilks, McNutts, Pences, Neels, Summers, Cawters, Ballards, Wicklines, and others, while the Crdows came from Alleghany county, The Stalmakers from Greenbrier county, the Mahoods and Grigsbys came from Mercer county and so on. Many of its students were sacrificed on the bloody fields of battle when the war came on. After the War, the building was used for some years in connection with West Virginia Female Seminary and the Johnson Female College. Hundreds of the men and women of today, some of them far distant from the scenes of their youth, cherish happy and tender memories of this old and still well preserved Academy.
Bill and Linda Burns purchased the old school and have remodeled it into a modern and comfortable home. They still remain the owners and occupants of what is now the Burns House.
Taken from the Morton’s History of Monroe County