Walter L. Parsley Elementary School is named for a prominent New Hanover County historical figure who lived in the Masonboro Sound area. Mr. Walter Linton Parsley was born in 1856 and died at the age of 84 in 1941. He was the owner of Hilton Lumber Company. He had a strong interest in promoting the welfare and education of the citizens of Masonboro. This concern lead to the donation of 2 and 1/3 acres of land to the New Hanover County Board of Education in 1913 for the construction of a school. The school was built at a cost of $ 2,100. The first principal was Miss Sallie Edwards. It operated as a school until 1927, and the building was used as a community center for several years after that.

The descendants of Walter L. Parsley included his grandson, also named Walter Linton Parsley, who was born in 1920. This Mr. Parsley and his wife Sarah Parsley agreed to sell an additional 17-acre tract for the purpose of building a modern elementary school. This is the land on which the new school is located. The foundation of this two-room schoolhouse can still be seen on the site of Walter L. Parsley School, and it has been preserved as a reminder of the early days of education in Masonboro.

Unfortunately, Mr. Parsley passed away before the school was completed. However, it is reported that it pleased him to know that his grandfather's dedication to education would be remembered for years to come by his family and all the families of the area. Several members of the Parsley family attended the ground breaking ceremony and Open House at the school including Mrs. Sarah Parsley, her children and grandchildren.

Walter L. Parsley

The funding for the purchase of the land and construction of the school came from a $125 million bond referendum passed in 1997. The total cost for the project was $9.8 million. The design is by Boney Architects and the general contractor is Clancy and Theys. Ground breaking was held in May 2000 and the school was ready for occupancy in June 2001. The first official day of school was August 13, 2001, when 500 children made Walter L. Parsley Elementary School come alive.

NOTE
The information in this summary comes from Between The Creeks by Crockette Hewlett and Mona Smalley, as well as from conversations with Mrs. Parsley, her children, and Leslie Boney.