The Sims House

(photo courtesy of Chatham Hall)

The first home of what is now known as Hargrave Military Academy was the Sims House (now the Sims-Mitchell House B&B at 242 Whittle Street SW, Chatham). The Sims House was the home of the Warren Training School in 1908-1909. The Warren Training School was the predecessor to the Chatham Training School, which was renamed after J. Hunt Hargrave in 1925.

During 1909-1910, the Warren Training School was moved to the Ingleside house, where it became the Chatham Training School--a general training school for boys. Ingleside, which is Scottish for "fireside" was built by Dr. Chesley Martin in 1844. The school's founders eventually moved the school to a hill immediately to the west--Hargrave's present spot.

Ingleside was the boyhood home of Dr. Martin's son, Rawley White Martin, who participated in and survived Pickett's Charge during the third day (July 3, 1963) of the Battle of Gettysburg as a member of the 53rd Virginia Infantry Regiment, which was one of the five units that made up Brig. Gen. Lewis Addison Armistead's brigade. Lt. Col. Martin led his unit, was wounded and captured in the battle.

The other units in Armistead's brigade were the 9th, 14th, 38th and 57th Virginia Infantry Regiments. It was this brigade that absorbed the brunt of the charge.

Note: Historical background courtesy of Henry H. Mitchell