The real birth date for Hudson Elementary School is 1958, but our roots go back to the mid-1870’s. The very first school to serve the community of Hudson was located on what was called the Herman Homestead. In 1867, a one-room building was erected on the Cedar Valley Road to serve as a school and also a meeting house for the expanding village. This school has become known as the Lingle School. The restored building is currently located at Tuttle State Forest.

With the community growth, a more centrally located site was needed. A school was built on what is now Main Street.

Mountain View Academy, a boarding school, was next on the scene. After a time as a private school, the school became a part of the Home Mission Board of the Congregational Church.

A shift in the growth of the village made it necessary for a school in the community. In 1903, the first school known as Hudson became a reality. Mr. G.D. Moore was the first principal, and he hired three teachers. The site of that building is where the present Hudson Uptown Building now stands.

In 1904-1905, the Hudson School was consolidated with some small schools in District Two, and became a free school for all who wished to attend. In 1912, the old academy building was torn down and replaced by a brick building. A larger structure of brick was erected at the same site in 1925.

After a period of growth in the 1930s, trouble hit in the 1940s. Two disastrous fires occurred during these years, the first one in 1941-42. About the time the second brick building was completed in 1945, another fire took a heavy toll, destroying the building as well as all the records. During a period of rebuilding, pupils were transported to the old Davenport College campus in Lenoir.

Mr. E.M. White became the supervising principal in 1947. High school students were transported from Sawmills, Baton, and Whitnel to Hudson.

In 1948, an auditorium, a new lunch room, and additional property were added. In 1950, the building known as the Junior High building was completed.

With an ever-growing enrollment, a new high school was built. In 1958, the high school moved down Cedar Valley Road about a mile. Hudson Elementary School was finally a reality, a school of grades one through eight.

In 1977, due to consolidation, a new high school for the entire southern end of the county was completed. South Caldwell took the students from Hudson High School, and the site was turned into Hudson Middle School. This change took all the seventh and eighth grade pupils to Hudson Middle School. With the addition of the state Pre-K program, Hudson Elementary School now houses Pre-K through sixth grade students.

Roy E. Coffey was the principal of Hudson Elementary School from 1958 until his retirement in 1982. On July 1, 1982, David Alexander became the second principal. Principals of Hudson Elementary since Mr. Alexander include Joel Carroll, Renae Clark, Robyn Stella, Andy Puhl, and Adam Windmiller.  Jeni McNulty has been principal at HES since July, 2019.