“Turning back toward Rock Hill we came by the Duncan farm and stopped for a moment’s chat with John Henry Duncan, who is perhaps the oldest citizen of that community. Mr. Duncan lived in the “Black Jacks” when there were not very many white neighbors ….in the community.” (The following is taken from A. M. Grist’s weekly column, “Just A-Rolling Along the Way,” published in the Yorkville Enquirer, Dec. 6, 1931. John K. Scoggins acted as Grist’s guide.)
City Directories and History: The New Home school remained standing until the early 21st century when it caved in due to neglect. It had historically served for many years as an important educational institution in the Bethesda area near Chappell’s. Perhaps hundreds of local African American students attended the school and have fond memories of the facility.
Images from the Cooper Farm in Laurens Co., S.C., ca. 1930s. Courtesy of the Cooper Photo Collection – 2017 (Images just like these could have been taken and preserved from thousands of S.C. farms. None of the individuals pictured are identified but all were sharecroppers on the Laurens County farm of the Cooper family.)
Two unidentified young-men from Laurens, S.C. who worked on the farm when not in school.
It was one of the many Julian Rosenwald funded schools in the greater Bethesda area which was heavily populated by African American farm tenants and workers during the early to mid 20th century as cotton continued the prosperity of the area. The author (WBF), has been told that teachers at the New Home school, would often eat lunch across the street, at the Chappell’s homeplace.
R&R HISTORY LINK: the Rock Hill Topo Map – 1949
This was one of a number of Rosenwald schools in the area and note on the map it is listed as simply – school.
Informative links: Rosenwald School, Inequity In SC Schools
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R&R HISTORY LINK: the 1941 Colored School Graduation lists…
R&R HISTORY LINK: #1051 Chappell Road
R&R HISTORY LINK: CARROLL SCHOOL
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