Take a look at this building … take a good look with your mind’s eye. Can you see the children sitting at their desk with excitement on their faces, some with their hands raised to their teacher? They knew not to talk to their peers or to speak out of turn, for sometimes punishment would cause their hands to burn.
The time they spent in school was so very precious because there was so much else to do. Spring was planting season and fall was the harvest. Don’t forget the chores and the crops that needed to be chopped throughout the summer.
The children mastered arithmetic, learned how to read, write and to speak in an intelligent voice, enabling them to carry home knowledge to help their parents who never had the opportunity to attend school and learn outside the home. St. Luke Elementary School was an extension of the community.
Home, church and school were the the basic foundations for family structure. Community pride was the connecting force held together by the strong faith of the families. The process is continuing today, as the offspring of past generations venture out over the nation, taking with them a part of St. Luke Elementary School.
The doors are closed now after over a hundred years of service. The building is silent, sitting alone with memories of love, a humble smile that can only be seen on the faces of those in the community with ties there.
Editor’s Note: There are plans to renovate the school in the future.
History, Southern Style 