The Athletic Heroes of Stephens-Lee High School

As students return for the 2022-23 school year, no time is more fitting to remind them of the legacy of superlatives that Stephens-Lee High School garnered, and the people in whose footsteps they follow.

Stephens-Lee High School, known of as “The Castle on the Hill,” was opened on March 7, 1923. It was the only public high school for African American students in Asheville and some western North Carolina counties. The school, designed for 900 students, opened its doors to 856 teenagers, eager to be educated, already enrolled. Numerous African American students from outside the county were bused each day as much as 80 miles to and from the school from Transylvania, Madison, Henderson, and other counties; others stayed with family members or friends in Asheville in order to obtain a high school education.

This month The Urban News recognizes Maxine Simuel-Jones, a Stephens-Lee High School Athletic Hall of Famer and the only 2006 female inductee and Athletic Hall of Fame recipient.

Maxine’s late parents were Willie and Jessie L. Simuel, and her siblings are the late Willie Lee, Jr. and Daniel Simuel. She is the mother of four—Patricia, Keith (deceased), Henry Lee, and Walter Marvels—and is married to the love of her life, Nathaniel Jones. In an interview with The Urban News, Mrs. Simuel-Jones reminisced about her time spent as a student, a top basketball player, and what “the Castle on the Hill” meant to her.

“I made the basketball team during my freshman year. However, my father’s focus was strictly on academics, and he wouldn’t allow me to play—and because the female (basketball) players had to wear shorts!” Maxine said. “After long conversations about the importance of education within our family, my mother convinced my dad to allow me to play.”

Robert Russel, a longtime East End community member, family friend, and classmate, remembers Maxine in their younger years.

“Growing up, Maxine was raised with a strong religious background, and as a student she knew, like most parents in our community, that education came first. At the same time, many students excelled in both academics and sports. Maxine also excelled at basketball; she was very intimidating on the court! People admired her vivacious personality, social skills, and tenacious spirit.”

During the next three years of high school, Maxine kept her grades up and was able to hit the courts with her teammates.

“One of my most memorable moments of playing basketball was being the first player on the court,” said Maxine. “I never sat on the bench, and I always made sure our team would get the ball! It was a great feeling to be able travel with the girls’ basketball team knowing I was able to contribute with my skills.”

She adds, “I encourage our youth and young adults to persevere, study hard, and keep the faith!”

The doors of Stephens-Lee High School officially closed after the 1964-65 academic school year, 10 years after the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court required the end of segregated schools. Yet it took several more years before all Asheville students were finally integrated into what became Asheville High School—the “legacy class,” the first fully integrated class, was the Class of 1970.

Despite its historic significance and its importance to African Americans throughout western North Carolina, “The Castle on the Hill” was demolished without notice or warning to the Black community in an unpublicized decision by the city school board. The uproar was immediate and overwhelming, and as a result, the former gymnasium of the school was saved. It has since become a crucial center for culture and arts for the African American community.