Williamson High School

B.W.A. Historical Marker Series, no. 29: Williamson High School.

In this series, which will post on occasional Wednesdays, I populate the landscape of Wilson County with imaginary “historical markers” commemorating people, places, and events significant to African-American history or culture.

We been here.

WILLIAMSON HIGH SCHOOL

African-American merchant-farmer Paul T. Williamson donated the land on which the Wilson County School Board built a six-room high school to serve black students in southwestern Wilson County. Williamson High School opened in 1941. Merged with new Springfield H.S. in 1951.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson, October 2025.

The history of Williamson High School.

A 14 May 2014 Wilson Daily Times article, “Education’s still a priority: Williamson-Springfield alumni holding gospel festival Saturday,” included this history of Williamson High School:

“In 1939, James Boykin spoke with Luther Wilder about the need for a high school for black children in the western part of the county.

“Students had to attend school in surrounding areas, including Johnson County or Darden High School in Wilson, both of which long distances for students to travel.

“A meeting was eventually held at Rocky Branch Church in Kenly, where then Wilson County Schools Superintendent K.R. Curtis attended. Parents were concerned about the future of their children’s education.

“In July 1940, the Wilson County Board of Education met and discussed the idea about purchasing property for the high school. A six-acre plot was purchased for $600 from Jennie Whitley, was the sister of Paul Williamson, who owned the land.

“A group of 40 young people, both black and white, helped with the construction of the building, which would become Williamson High School.  Construction was completed in March 1941. Until then, Rocky Branch Church held classes there until the school was completed. During the 1941 school year, classes were held on Saturdays at the church and school in order to get credit. Opened in 1942, the Williamson School was a six-room high school that offered grades 9-12. Williamson School merged with Springfield in the fall of 1951. While the first graduating class was in 1952, the first full class, who spent all 12 years at the school, was in 1964.”

Wilson Daily Times, 7 July 1994.

Williamson High School, eight years later.

Williamson High School opened in 1941 as the third post-elementary school for black children in Wilson County. I first visited in 2017. The six-room cinderblock school is still standing, though almost completely hidden from the road by encircling sweet gums and wax myrtles. Inside, the floor of the central hallway has collapsed at the west end of the school, but otherwise the interior seems about the same.

Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, October 2024.

School bus overturns near Rock Ridge.

Wilson Daily Times, 1 November 1943.

This accident likely involved one of the vehicles the County Commission purchased in 1941 to alleviate extreme overcrowding on rural school buses. 

——

  • Williamson High School
  • Hilliard Ellis — in the 1930 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Hilliard D. Ellis, 28; wife Ella, 23; and children Doereatha, 4, and Hilliard Jr., 1.
  • Harland Sessoms
  • Helen Willingham
  • Lessie Davis — probably, in the 1940 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer John Davis, 65; wife Willie, 54; and children William H., 24; Mattie L., 20; Jessie, 18; Lessie, 16; and Willie, 15.
  • Nora Farmer
  • Perlie Jane Jones
  • Mozzelle Hamilton — in the 1940 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Jacob Hamilton, 53; wife Beulah, 51; and children Ethel, 15, Othel, 18, Lawrance, 13, Mozell, 11, and Hubert, 8.
  • Beatrice Wilkins — in the 1940 census of Oldfields township, Wilson County: farmer Clifton Wilkins, 42; wife Sardie, 42; and children William, 14, Beatrice, 11, John Jr., 9, and Jeff, 7; plus daughter Sally Ann Bagley, 19, widow, and her children Nellie May, 3, and James Jr., 1.

 

County Commission gives in, buys more buses for rural schools.

Wilson Daily Times, 10 March 1941.

In March 1941, after repeated complaints by “a delegation of negroes,” Wilson County Commissioners were forced to supply two additional school buses to alleviate severe overcrowding on the buses ferrying children to and from the county’s two Black high schools, Elm City and Williamson. A state school commission inspection disclosed that the two buses serving Elm City were carrying 280 children a day on a route that wove across the top half of the county. (Children were picked up in dangerously overcrowded shifts, which resulted in forces tardiness and absences for many.)

Clipping courtesy of J. Robert Boykin III.

Williamson School P.T.A., ca. 1945.

This remarkable photograph was taken about 1945 at a Williamson School Parent-Teacher Association meeting. 

As identified by Oazie Jones Mitchell and friends, seated on the front row: Isaac Renfrow, Arabella Greenfield Renfrow, Paul H. Jones, Calvin Jones (squatting), Gertrude Creech Jones, Joe Kent, Cleo Newsome, Otis Newsome, Pauline Kent, Cleveland Mitchell, Addie Lee Kent, Bud Atkinson, Ida Mae Finch, unidentified, Mattie Shelley, Leona Jones, and unidentified. Second row: Annie Mitchell, Carlester Mitchell, Addie Creech, Luther Creech, Irene Jones, Jim L. Jones, Lillie Powell, Luther Wilder, Doretha Finch, Doris Finch, Roy Shelley, Ada Carter Locus, Carl Locus, Ida Carter Brockington, and Annie Barham.

Photo shared by Tondra Talley, whose grandparents Paul and Gertrude Jones and many other relatives are depicted. Oazie Jones Mitchell provided additional information. Thank you! 

Principal’s reports: Williamson High School, 1941.

High school principals were required to file annual reports with the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction. In 1941, Robert E. Lee filed this report for newly opened Williamson High School.

The school year was only 120 days long and ran from 21 January 1941 to 31 May 1941. (Compare Elm City Colored School, which ran from February to June. Darden, on the other hand, had a 180-day school year.) Three teachers taught at Williamson — two women and one man. Astonishingly, these three taught 114 children — 39 boys and 75 girls — in three grades. (The school had no 11th or 12th grades.) Six-room Williamson Colored School housed all grades in one building. It had no restrooms, principal’s office, library, or auditorium. It did have a lunchroom run by the home economics department.

The high school offered classes in English, spelling, general mathematics, citizenship, American history, world history, geography, general science, and biology.

Classes met at 9:00, 9:48, 10:45, 11:27, 1:48 and 2:38. Lunch was at noon. R.E. Lee taught science, geography and history. J.P. Brown taught English, spelling and citizenship. C.J. Nicholson taught math, English and spelling.

All the teachers were college graduates. Each was in his or her first year teaching at Williamson.

The school had no laboratories or maps. It published a newspaper, The Oracle, and sponsored an English Club. Lee made this note: “Our Agriculture, Home Economics and guidance programs will begin in September, 1941, as steps are already being taken to put them into effect.”

High School Principals’ Annual Reports, 1940-1941, Wayne County to Wilson County; North Carolina Digital Collection, digital.ncdcr.gov.