Bright Hall Housed A Girls’ School
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Bud Phillips/Bristol Herald Courier
Published: April 5, 2008
Yearly, hundreds of people pass through the doors of the stately old building which now houses Weaver Funeral Home, not knowing that here once existed a very exclusive girls’ school.
The effectiveness and influence of this school was still evident in the lives of a few older ladies of Bristol when I came here 54 years ago.
David J. Ensor and his wife Mary, came to Bristol during its early formative years.
He rented a building from Joseph R. Anderson in the 400 block of Main (now State) Street, and there opened Bristol’s second drug store.
This drug store, established about 1860, was in the old stand of Dr. R.M. Coleman who had opened Bristol’s first drug store there in 1855. The location was one door west of where the legendary Bunting’s Drug Store long operated.
The Ensors first lived in the back part of this store, but soon rented a small house on 4th St.
In the late 1860s, John G. King, youngest son of the noted Rev. James King, began to sell a few building sites upon land that he had recently inherited from his father. One of the first lots sold was to David J. Ensor. This lot was located on what is now the southeast corner of 7th and Locust streets.
About 1869, Mr. Ensor built a large and fine two-story brick house. This is now the oldest portion of the Weaver Funeral Home.
I have been told that this was the first house that contractor William H. “Uncle Billy” Smith built after he moved here from Blountville. He would soon become one of the most prominent contractors in this city.
There was an unusually large window in the upstairs hall that made it lighter than were most halls in those days, thus the estate was named “Bright Hall.”
Soon after the Ensors moved into their grand new home, Mrs. Ensor, who had been teaching a few girls in her downtown home, opened a much larger and exclusive school in Bright Hall. Some called it a female seminary.
She named the school for her home. Along with the usual academic subjects, she also taught art, music and heavily emphasized the social graces.
Several young women were boarded in her home. Charges for room, board and tuition ran to about $50 per semester.
Around 1880, Mr. Ensor suffered severe financial losses. He sold his store to Dr. J.F. Hicks, the school was closed and a move was made to Ten Mile Stand, Meigs County, Tenn.
Soon thereafter, Mary Ensor developed breast cancer. In time, she was brought back to Bristol and had an operation performed by her brother-in-law, Dr. John J. Ensor. Soon after this operation, she died in the Dr. Ensor home that is now the Sesco Building at 7th and Cherry.
Soon after the Ensors left here, Bright Hall was sold to John H. Caldwell. About 1908, he remodeled and greatly enlarged the house.
In later years, it became an apartment house and then finally became the present Weaver Funeral Home.
Added historical note: Mr. Ensor may have not been aware that Bright Hall marked the approximate site of the main entry of the very historic Fort Shelby (circa 1772-1794).
Further, he may not have been aware that the mastectomy performed on his wife was the first such operation performed in Bristol.
BUD PHILLIPS is a local historian and author. He can be reached at (276) 466-6435.
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