I’ve always admired this unusually large wooden structure and until recently knew nothing of its history. It has been in an advanced state of decline for many years.
Harvey Williams notes that it was the elementary school (segregated) and later a coat factory, owned by Sheila Gaskins. It’s a very large school for such a small town, and may have served more grades when it was first built.
I passed this place on the way to Waycross. Lots of storm damage to the roof, and based on the looks I don’t think it will be there much longer.
I found a token for the Willacoochee Colored School today. It says admit one one month and Willacoochee colored school on the other side. Did this school use tokens for enrollment?
Paul, I’m not sure about this school, but it’s possible. I’d love to see an image or scan of the token you found, if you wouldn’t mind emailing it to me. Thanks. wbrianbrownATgmailDOTcom
Thanks Brian….I also would like to see a picture of the token. Actually I don’t remember the location of the “Colored School”. Bob Deen
On Sun, Aug 17, 2025 at 10:58 AM Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian
I attended the old colored school in Willacoochee and would love to see a photo. And if anyone have pictures of McCranie quarters housing
Thank you.
Brian…I think the location of the “Colored” school was about a mile south of town. South on Peterson St. (St. HWY 135), probably somewhere around Springhead Church Rd. I remember watching a T-28 Trainer from Moody AFB cross the town early one night with and engine fire. The student pilot had parachuted and landed just north of the town while the instructor stayed with the airplane until he got it across town. When he jumped he apparently hit his head and was knocked unconcious. His body was bound in the area of the “Colored” school. Timeframe was probably early 1950’s.
Robert Deen
I remember being in the gym one night during a basketball game and in marched a large group of KKK. It would have been late 40’s or early 50’s. A hush fell over the entire place and the game came to a halt. It cost a quarter to get in and apparently each KKK dropped a quarter in the bucket. They marched around the outside of the court and back out the front door.
This was the original size of the gym. The office and library were located on the end with the sign. The rest of the building was turned into class rooms. The shelter was built on each side to help walking into classrooms. The canning plant was also on the property. Later, classes, the work roo m, and nurses station wasi n that building. Mobile units were brought in when Kindergarten began.
This was the original site of the gym. The office and library were located on the end with the sign. The rest of the building was turned into class rooms. The shelter was built on each side to help walking into classrooms. The canning plant was also on the property. Later, classes, the work room, and nurses station wasi n that building.
The above school was originally the gymnasium for the school building that burned. My mother was teaching summer school when it burned. My 8th grade class was the last to graduate from the old school. The gym was renovated into the school that is in this article. That’s why it’s such an unusual look for a school. After college, I came back in 1977 and taught there. It was closed when our new school was built. It was mentioned that this school was segregated. We integrated while I was in high school between 69 and 73, it was only segregated for a few years. I graduated in 1973 and we were integrated at that time. In 1977 I came back to this school to teach. I taught in this building until we were able to have a new school built. I retired from W.E.S. in 2012. From 1961- 2012, I was only gone 4 years to go to college and came right back.. That’s love for someone who lived next door in Berrien County. My mother(Sara Vickers) taught there 40 years. We all graduated from Atco High.
That’s the Willacoochee school gym. It was converted to classroom use in 1970 when the main school building burned down. A replacement school was finally built in 1986.
The gym, which looks to be WPA era, was used for Willacoochee High School, which consolidated in 1955 with Pearson. Willacoochee continued as an elementary school afterwards. I haven’t tracked down where exactly the Black elementary school was in Willacoochee, but I’d figure it was very close to where the current elementary school is located.
Wow! Did they add on to the structure for use as a school? It would be the largest gym I’ve ever seen if it was merely a gym.
The gym was big enough to convert into 10 classrooms, according to an article I have about its conversion after the fire. Looking at the photos, there doesn’t seem to have been any additions.
It looks similar to the Enigma school gym, which was built in the 1930s. I’ve never been inside Willacoochee’s facility, but Enigma’s gym had two big classrooms at the front of the building, a stage at the end and 1-2 classrooms behind it. That’s in addition to a basement (which Willacoochee obviously doesn’t have). Oddly, Enigma’s gym was also put in classroom use a few years later after a fire, but Enigma brought in mobile units soon after.
You have the best pictures of Georgia. Many pictures that nobody but because of you, I’ve been able to enjoy them and others have too. Thank you ❤️
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