The Story

Rose Hill is a historically black community in northeast Porterdale that was originally developed in the early 1900s as a segregated residential community for mill workers. The school was built in 1937 by the Bibb Manufacturing Company and also served as a church and a community gathering place. Rose Hill School was the only African American educational establishment in Porterdale while the mill was in operation. The building has remained largely unchanged since construction and reflects a unique era of development in a distinctive mill community.

The Threat

Unoccupied for many years, the historic school building increasingly bears the scars of decades of neglect and lack of maintenance. Given its state of abandonment, vandalism is a frequent threat. There is wide support throughout the city for the building’s repair and preservation, with a hope of finding a future occupant who can once again make the schoolhouse a focal point of the community.

Images by MotorSportMedia | Halston Pitman & Nick Woolever