As the views from both sides illustrate, the old Haw Pond Schoolhouse (located beside Hawpond Baptist Church) is in bad shape any way you look at it. Unfortunately, I can find no history of the school or the community.
It’s not a traditional one-room schoolhouse in that there is a small foyer in the front, a room in the middle, and finally the classroom at the rear. With the two front doors, I’m wondering if it was perhaps also used as the church at some time.
This appears to have been the classroom.
This is an anteroom to the classroom; it may have been partitioned after the initial construction.
Update: As of 2021, this structure has nearly collapsed and won’t be around long.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 
My grandmother Mabel Wright Spires taught here in the 1800s. She was one of the first graduates of the teaching college in Atlanta. I believe that’s where it was. And I think it did also serve as the church and sits beside the new Hawpond Baptist Church on Hawpond Road about five miles outside of Arabi GA Crisp County.
My grandma may be able to tell you some about the Hawpond School and the farm house on Hawpond Rd. I know she grew up out that way. She told me who lived in that house and that they had a child to get hit by a car right in front of the house. 229 947 2546 is my number.
Louise Veal owns the school house and can give the history of the school. Her number is 229-938-7637. Cordele
My Mother, Betsy Jane Pate, attended Haw Pond School in Crisp County, Georgia as a young girl. Betsy Jane Pate was born in January 1910. She was the daughter of William Bennett & Sarah Maude Odom Pate, Crisp County, Georgia.
My grandmother Mable Wright Spires taught at this school. I have a picture of her with all of her children. Priceless!!
I would love to see the photo, Beverly. Can you email me? kelly@theforgottensouth.com
Beverly, I’d love to see the photo, as well. wbrianbrown@gmail.com
Somewhere I heard or read that originally it was a one room schoolhouse. When the church stopped using it, it was divided into rooms for use as a home. Sorry I can’t give a source for this. When I visited, it did appear to me that the dividing walls were added later than the original building.
The Haw Pond School building is referenced briefly in the book, “Crisp County’s History in Pictures and Stories” second edition published by Cordele-Crisp County Historical Society, Inc. in 1978. On page 468 the book states “Haw Pond Baptist Church was constituted in the old school house which joins the church property today.” (This would appear to confirm that the building was indeed used as a school.) The minutes of that meeting indicate the date to be May 10, 1925, during a period when there were many schools in the county to provide educational opportunities in communities before the construction of school buildings at Arabi, West Crisp, and East Crisp.
Thanks so much. I will add that to the posting soon!
My father attended this school when he was a boy.