These buildings above was built in the mid-1950s and were part of the rural Satilla Elementary School. By the mid-1960s, the large main school building burned.
Satilla School, Circa 1956, Jeff Davis County
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown
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This is just the lunchroom, the school was very big and burned in the mid 60’s.
Bill Swinson was the Principal there at Satilla but the school burned down because of a kid throwing a cigarette into a trash can.
If this building is located south and east of Hazlehurst toward Alma then, the “school” in question is actually not a school but is a lunchroom of Satilla Elementary School. If it is located north and east of Hazlehurst then it is most likely the lunchroom of Alatamaha Elementary. The brick structure that is seen in the photo appears to be one of several built in the 1950’s by Jeff Davis County to replace outdated wooden lunchrooms. If you will check the photos of the Excelsior School site at Snipesville, Georgia, you will see a similar building with a covered walk or breeze way which connected to the main School. When I attended Excelsior in the 1950’s, Satilla was one of five white schools. The others were Excelsior, Altamaha, Hazlehurst, and Brooker- Denton. During that time, Mr. Grover Herrington was the principal for many years. He was well respected and had children of his own who attended Satilla. Since schools were segregated, unfortunately I am not very familiar with black schools.
To the best of my memory,
Jesse Bookhardt
No this is the old Stillia School. My dad went to school there until they closed it. It was not a black school. He grew up in that area, and that is where the kids that lived in that area went to school. I have enjoyed looking at all of your photographs.
bdavis my mother also attended school there. Her last name was Davis as well. Most people called her Sister. 🙂
My name is Lear Rainey and I grew up down the road from that school mater of fact it’s still there, every time I come home from Jacksoknville I pass right by it. It was an all White school. I wish I could go back to the house we lived in but the road beside the school is all grown over with brush but I have lots of memories of living out there. Thank you for the memories
Sent from my iPhone ♥️Lear Golden♥️ 1016 Maynard St. Jacksonville, FL 32208 (904)-766-1196 (hm) (904)-705-9521 (cell)
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After doing a little bit of digging, I’m pretty sure that this is actually Altamaha School. I came across a list of schools from the early 1960s and this one had only four teachers.
I was able to find a location for it (as well as the site of St. Matthew) and it seems to line up for where you describe it as being.
This is far out in the extreme end of the county, toward Appling County. I figure this was an African-American school, by its small size. Wish I knew for sure…
This is the old lunchroom at Satilla Elementary School, built in 1956 when I was in the 8th grade there.
This is a all white school. I was born & raised down the road about 3 city blocks. That building is still there. It was not very big only 2 buildings. I passed it everyday leaving my home. Bobby Spell stayed crossed the road. Mr Raleigh & Ms Isabell lived right behind the school & our house was the next house. Route 3 Box 100. Never forget it
Do you have any idea what school this is?
I know there was a very small segregated school named St. Matthew located out in the county, but I have no idea of its location. Jeff Davis had closed all of its rural elementaries by 1970, so I’m wondering if this was it.