The Columbia Academy was a schoolhouse that preceded the public school system and was located on the west side of the Mountain Road (currently Route 620) in the Mountain Valley area. It was just south of the intersection with the road from Tenth Legion (Route 798). The date of construction of this school is unknown but from records obtained by Marie Arrington for her book, Mountain Valley People, the school existed in 1860 and was called Columbia Seminary. The teacher at that time was I. S. Voarheis. Other early teachers at Columbia were John West, John Wise and Mr. Conrad from Elkton. The school was incorporated into the county school system in the early 1870s The last four teachers at Columbia were:

1880-81---Fannie Harrison
1881-82---E. O. Bell
1882-83---Nannie G. Harrison
1883-84---Bettie Harrison

In 1884, Gideon Rosenberger deeded land to the Plains District School Board for the construction of a new school. The new school, called the Union Chapel school, was built a short distance south of the Columbia School and on the opposite (east) side of the road. The Columbia school was then closed.