Last updated: April 22, 2025
Place
Lowndesboro Schoolhouse
Jacob Garrett
Quick Facts
Location:
47 Howard Lane, Lowndesboro, AL 36752
MANAGED BY:
The Elmore Bolling Initiative
The Lowndesboro Schoolhouse, established in 1867 by Dr. Mansfield Tyler, is one of the oldest surviving Reconstruction-era African American schoolhouses in the United States. Its origins are deeply rooted in the efforts of formerly enslaved citizens to secure education and religious fellowship in the face of systemic oppression. Dr. Tyler, a remarkable figure who was not only an educator but also a minister and member of the Alabama House of Representatives, played a key role in its founding. He was also the leader of the Lowndesboro Colored Education Association, which worked to improve educational opportunities for Black residents of Lowndes County.
The schoolhouse’s creation was made possible through funds provided by the Southern Aid Society in 1868 and the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1871. These funds allowed Tyler and other community members to purchase a building that would serve as the Lowndesboro School and the First Baptist Church. This building became a symbol of black empowerment in Lowndesboro, where formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants could gather to learn and worship.
In 1883, the Lowndesboro Colored Education Association built a separate schoolhouse. This building, which is still known as the Lowndesboro Schoolhouse, continues to stand today as a testament to the resilience and determination of the African American community in the area. The school was closed in 1967 when federal court-ordered integration reshaped education across the South.
In connection with Lowndes County’s tragic history, the schoolhouse was where the children of Elmore Bolling, a successful African American entrepreneur and philanthropist, were in attendance on the day of his lynching in 1947. In 2011, the former owners Lucious and Myrtie K. Evans donated the building to the Elmore Bolling Initiative, ensuring a preserved legacy for future generations.
The schoolhouse’s creation was made possible through funds provided by the Southern Aid Society in 1868 and the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1871. These funds allowed Tyler and other community members to purchase a building that would serve as the Lowndesboro School and the First Baptist Church. This building became a symbol of black empowerment in Lowndesboro, where formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants could gather to learn and worship.
In 1883, the Lowndesboro Colored Education Association built a separate schoolhouse. This building, which is still known as the Lowndesboro Schoolhouse, continues to stand today as a testament to the resilience and determination of the African American community in the area. The school was closed in 1967 when federal court-ordered integration reshaped education across the South.
In connection with Lowndes County’s tragic history, the schoolhouse was where the children of Elmore Bolling, a successful African American entrepreneur and philanthropist, were in attendance on the day of his lynching in 1947. In 2011, the former owners Lucious and Myrtie K. Evans donated the building to the Elmore Bolling Initiative, ensuring a preserved legacy for future generations.