Hungry for History?: Willow Hill School and Community

Описание: Celebrating 150 years of History: Defining their Destiny, the story of the Willow Hill School and Community:

In the 1870s, during the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War, the Willow Hill community and school were established by the Riggs, Donaldson, Hall, and Parrish families, who were formerly enslaved, in rural Bulloch County, Georgia. This area stands out as one of the few remaining African American towns founded post-Civil War that continues to exist today. The cornerstone of this community, the Willow Hill School, was established in 1874. Originally privately owned, it was sold to the Bulloch County Board of Education for $18.00 in 1920. By 1971, the school had integrated, and when it closed in 1999, it was recognized as Bulloch County, Georgia's longest-operating school. In 2005, faced with the potential auction of the school building and property, descendants of the founders, rallying community support and pooling scant resources, managed to secure the purchase of the school for $124,000.00 within just two weeks. That same year, the Willow Hill Heritage and Renaissance Center was established at the site of the historic Willow Hill School, serving as a museum, cultural hub, and community center. This talk highlights the remarkable journey and enduring legacy of the Willow Hill community.