We know little about 19th-century African American schools in Wilson County. There were at least 19 and probably many more, but to date we can only firmly identify five. These quasi-public schools predated Rosenwald schools by decades, but at least a few, like Rocky Branch, Howard, and Stantonsburg, survived to be upgraded with Rosenwald funds.
Here’s a running list of the schools I’ve identified.
#1 Unnamed school, Stantonsburg township, per deed reference, Stantonsburg and Moyton Road.
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12 Rocky Branch school, Springhill township, per an 1896 deed reference to “the lot belonging to district No 12 of the colored free school … on the Buck horn and Kenly Road” adjacent to the “colored Christian church lot …”
#13
#14 Unknown school, Black Creek township, per reference in an 1881 news brief.
Wilson Advance, 11 February 1881.
#15
#16
#17 Howard School, Taylors township, per deed.
#18
#19 Unknown school, Toisnot township east of Elm City, per a 1898 deed reference: “Parcel of land known as Colored School lot District no 19. Situated on the East Side of the Public road leading from Elm City to the old Tarboro and Raleigh road, adjoining the lands of [Redmond Winstead] containing one acre or less.”
Deed Book 50, page 283, Wilson County Register of Deeds Office, Wilson.