FIRST SCHOOLS IN BURNT CORN!

FIRST SCHOOL: Student Retreat BURNT CORN MALE ACADEMY” marker in Conecuh County, Ala. This marker is located on the south side of Conecuh County Road 30, less than half a mile from the intersection with County Road 5 at Burnt Corn.

BURNT CORN MALE ACADEMY Oak Villa School Puryear School Burnt Junior High New Hope Rasenwald “Buttrick” School. BURNT CORN MALE ACADEMY The Burnt Corn Academy was located about two hundred yards to the right of the Old Federal Road at Burnt Corn going north. The Academy's location probably chosen because of a good spring being in this spot. This spring was known as the Academy Spring. Later, this area became a pasture and a nergo cabin occupied by "Uncle Bob Betts" (a slave) was there for many years. The Academy was in the neighborhood of the Fountains, Clingmans, and O'Brien, his wife Nannie Clingman O'Brien, and their daughters, Bettie Lanier O'Brien were teachers in the Academy. Mr. O'Brien was the principal or headmaster. There are no signs of any of these building now, but the spring is probably bubbling on and waiting for children with their buckets and gourds. On December 31, 1841, the Burnt Corn Academy was incorporated by the Alabama legislature. It is believed that both boys and girls attended this academy, even though at first males only were permitted.

BURNT CORN FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL The children in this photo starting with the front row, left to right: Glenn Higdon, Gladys Waters, Sonny Mines, Evelyn McMillan, J.L. Crawford, Crawford King, Paul Fortner, Fred Wells, Ray Waters, Melva Andrews, Hestle Day: second row: Alice Crawford, Lilburn Shofner, Prudence Smith, Bertha Higdon, Edna Green, Burgess Waters, Bobby Brantley, Billy Brantley, Eugenia Ellis, Pat Morrison; third row: Mildred Morrison, Edith Hightower, Ann Caines, Elose Waters, Kathleen McMillan, Ruby Day, Dorothy Crook, alvin Salter, Eugene Shofer, Fred Shonfer,Jr., Curtis Andress, Charles Gilmore, Bennie Whistenhunt; back row: Miss Addie Rumbley, Ima Jean Brantley, and Minnie Howard Morrison.
The first public school taught in Conecuh County was in the vicinity of Burnt Corn and was taught by John Green, Sr. Some say this school was known as "Student's Retreat." Later there was a school in the Burnt Corn vicinity known as "Oak Villa School." It believes that school was located near Puryearville Church. Much later there were at least two schools for negro children in the Burnt Corn area. One was located in New Hope area of Burnt Corn called "Buttrick School" New Hope Roasenwald School near the New Hope AME church.

Puryearville School
Puryearville School was considered the "colored" school after the turn of the century located next to the present day Pilgrim Rest Methodist Church. The school went from the 1st to 10th grades. The school only had three teachers: Dewitt Tait, Charles Stallworth and George Davison. The Principal was Professor McCastle. The school year ran between October and April leaving the remainder of the year for students to plant and harvest crops. This is the school my parent attended. The other school was located in the Puryearville area of Burnt Corn next to the Pilgrim Rest AME Zion church. In the 1950s the only school left in Burnt Corn was the newly constructed Burnt Corn Jr. High School which is located across the street from the Pilgrim Rest AME Church. This is the one-room school that black children of this attended. The school had only one room and one fireplace to keep warm. It was located beside the "Old" Bethany Baptist Church. The school was ran by Prince Tait the schoolmaster Negro Puryearville School

The New Hope School The New Hope Rosenwald School was referred to as The “Buttrick” school in the New Hope area of Burnt Corn near the New Hope Methodist AME Zion Church. As a child, I remember this school they had only one bus and a few students. I remember the bus was a short bus and the kids that rode the short bus to Buttrick school was teased as students riding the little short bus. I remembered my cousin Verie Dell Dailey was one of the last teachers at this school. She very young coming out of college and her first teaching job. The school then closed for some reason and the students and teachers were transferred to Nitchburg School, where Buddy Royster was the Principal for many years until he was murdered in that school.

New Hope Rosenwald School

Burnt Corn Junior High School

Burnt Corn Junior High School as sits today in Burnt Corn

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