At first glance it’s not as imposing as the other three structures on Louvale’s wonderful Church Row, but the Antioch Institute is the most historic of the lot. Antebellum school buildings are rare in South Georgia. It was built in the 1850s and operated by the Antioch Primitive Baptist Church until 1895. It is believed to have also been used as the church until the structure to the south was built in 1885. Today it serves as the Louvale Community House and is the home of the Sybil and John B. Richardson School of Sacred Harp Singing.
The historic marker, placed by the Historic Chattahoochee Commission and Antioch Primitive Baptist Church in 1986 reads: Built in the 1850s, the school was operated by the Antioch Primitive Baptist Church until it was sold to Stewart County in 1895. The building is believed to have been used for church services until the handsome building to the south was erected for that purpose about 1885. The county operated the Louvale High School here until 1928 when the upper grades were transferred to Lumpkin. The elementary school remained until 1942. The school is now used as the Louvale Community House which serves as the home for the Sybil and John B. Richardson School of Sacred Harp Singing.
Louvale Church Row Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 