Free Hills Rosenwald School: preservation brochure

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In a beautiful tree-covered mountain lies a unique rural
black community made primarily of the descendants of
slaves which settled on the hill well before the Civil War.
"Free Hill" is located 5 miles northeast of the city of Celina
in Clay County Tennessee.
Virginia Hill, a slaveholder from North Carolina, came to
Celina and gave her slaves their freedom and 2,000 acres
of rough timbered land. The former slaves called the
mountain Free Hill, because Mrs. Hill freed them and be­cause
the land was on a hillside. The area has since been
referred to as Free Hill. Later runaway and freed slaves mi­grated
to the area and inter-married. The residents built
their own stores, clubs, and eateries.
Free Hill was once the home for over 300 residents is
now the home for only 75. Many are the direct descen­dants
of the slaves who made this rough but picturesque
hill top their home.
-Tanya Andrews -
~ servatlo
Restoration of this community treasure can be
easily obtained with the help of a few corrective
measures. In order to preserve its high degree
of historic integrity, improvements such as
energy efficient, fitting windows and screens,
gutters, disability ramp and bathrooms, siding
and foundation repair, and possibly an update
ofthe electrical system could preserve this rare
building. These repairs mean the difference
between saving a relevant American artifact or
losing a piece of social history. By preserving
this building, we can share the impressive
heritage that Tennessee boasts.
Unl
Future generations should treasure Free Hill's
unique heritage and embrace what the
Community Center represents. Imagine a place
where Youth /Community Learning, Music
Exhibitions, and a Public History Exhibit could
preserve the spirit of this enduring safe haven.
With your loyalty and involvement this dream
can become a reality.
The Free Hill Community Center was
formerly the Free Hill Rosenwald School.
The "School House'~ as it was affection­ately
known is located at 1440 Free Hill
Road, in Celina, Clay County, Tennessee.
In 1919, Sears Roebuck & Company es­tablished
a rural school building pro­gram
through the Rosenwald fund to
build African American schools. In 1929
- 1930 the community with the aid of
the Julius Rosenwald fund, a grant pro­gram
guided by BookerT. Washington,
built a school to educate their children
on the land donated by several families.
This was the only Rosenwald building in
Clay County. The school was closed in
1966 when segregation officially ended.
The Rosenwald School of the Free Hills
community in Clay County, Tennessee
was but one of 354 schools built in the
state, with only about 30 still standing.
In the year 2000 the National Trust
placed these schools on its list of 11
Most Endangered Historic Places.
FREE HILL (S)
C_OM,M_U,N_IT Y
J:ree Hlll(s). o htstoclc Bl6clc commu"lty. was
eata.blla'hed nor thea&t of Celina before tho Civil
Wall by toi'Uler .slaves o( Vlr<J!nta Hill. lilll
brouqht her slav~ f.rom Nor th Caroline to
t~n Overton C'oun~. purchased 2.~00 hilly
and rou<Jh acTes. settled and free<l them. The
freed Blttcks took the .surname Hill. thus the
name Free Hflltil. Aftell 166,, 'other <::.Joy Counfy
8Jack& also •settled In the area.
Free Hill Community Center
Director- Irene Hurt
Open Every Wed. 11 am-2pm
- Annual Free Hill Homecoming -
2nd Sunday in July
Since 1857
Free Hill Community Club, Inc.
Ralph Richardson- President
931.239.3955 or 931.243.2220