I was out with a friend photographing churches all over Emanuel County yesterday and was stopped in my tracks when we came upon this gem, in Summertown. I knew right away it was a schoolhouse but of course, wanted to know more. It’s on private property and is electronically monitored for trespassing, so first and foremost, it can only be observed from the road.

I’ve only been able to discern that it was known as the Summertown School. The Georgia Historic Resources survey states that it was built circa 1930 and was used until the 1960s-1970s, but that doesn’t seem likely since a more modern brick school, a street away, was built [likely by the WPA], circa 1940. My guess is that this school dates to circa 1920 and probably housed grades 1-11 in its four classrooms. When the newer school was built, it’s possible that this building housed elementary grades, or, more likely, was used as the Black school. [Update: Cynthia Jennings discovered that the school was built in 1907].

A restoration of the building was attempted in the 1970s but never completed and I believe it has been vacant since. It would be nice to see it restored as I’m sure there are still some people around who remember going to school here.