NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A school where Black children were able to get their education after being built in the 1920s has moved miles across Williamson County to preserve history.
The Lee-Buckner School is the last remaining Rosenwald School in Williamson County and now it will be restored and turned into a monument of education in Black history.
Overnight the shuttered school building was picked up from Duplex Road in Spring Hill and a trailer transported it about 12 miles to its final destination of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County's Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens.
People, including former students, celebrated its arrival around midnight this morning and this new chapter in preserving Black history.
More than 5,000 Rosenwald Schools were built in the south to educate African American children before desegregation in the 60s.
Today, only about 60 of the schools are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Eventually, people can visit the Lee-Buckner school and understand the difficulty Black students faced to get an education.
"When it got to the top of the hill here, I was emotional and I started crying. I remember the hard times," said former student Diane Jones Avkinson. "The thing now that it's here, people can see a glimpse of what it used to be like. How hard it was."
This move has been in the making for years and is thanks to the work of former students, community leaders, engineers, and more. In the future, it will have an exhibit on the school's history and space for ongoing educational programming.
This is a beautiful story of chosen family, proving a father figure doesn't have to have biology in common to make a difference in a child's life. The story of De'Andre and Alex will remind you that our relationships help determine the course of our lives. And that being supportive of someone - through a meal, a shared experience or even swim lessons can make all the difference.
- Rebecca Schleicher
